[US Threatens Attacks on Iranian Civilian Ports in the Strait of Hormuz; Iran Responds] The US Central Command stated on the 11th that Iran is using civilian ports along the Strait of Hormuz for military purposes and threatened to use force against these ports. The Iranian military responded that if that were the case, all ports in the region would become "legitimate targets" for Iran. The US Central Command posted on social media that the Iranian Navy has deployed warships and equipment in civilian ports and is using them to "conduct military operations that threaten international shipping." If civilian ports are used for military purposes, they will "lose their protection" and "become legitimate military targets," and Iranian civilians should avoid entering these ports. Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Abufazl Shekarchi later told Iranian state television that if Iranian ports and docks are threatened, all ports and docks in the region would become "legitimate targets" for Iran.
