The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it is “waiting” for the U.S. forces that will escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, amid heightened tensions caused by the ongoing U.S.–Israeli war with Iran. The IRGC responded to a U.S. announcement about providing military protection for navigation by issuing warnings and recalling past attacks on American ships.

Commenting on U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s statement that the U.S. Navy is preparing to escort ships in the strategic strait, IRGC spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naeini said, “We are waiting for them,” adding—according to the Fars News Agency—“We advise the Americans, before making any decision, to remember the fire that struck the giant American oil tanker Bridgeton in 1987 and the oil tankers that were targeted recently.”

The United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran on February 28. The White House stated that the attack came in response to what it described as “missile and nuclear threats from Iran.” The joint U.S.–Israeli strikes resulted in the killing of several top Iranian leaders, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi.

In response, the IRGC announced a wide-ranging retaliatory operation that included launching missiles and drones toward Israeli targets, as well as targeting U.S. military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.