Iran Escalates the Rhetoric Ahead of the Midterms: ‘Impatient to Sink American Warships’

A top Iranian official again escalated the rhetoric against the U.S. as tensions remain elevated ahead of the midterms in early November.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Ali Ozmaei said on Wednesday that Tehran is "impatient to sink American warships."

"We are waiting for U.S. warships to approach the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz so we can sink them. We are counting down every moment until this happens," he added in a televised interview with local television.

Iran appears to be increasing its activity in the waterway. A new report detailed that Tehran is resorting to new tactics to disrupt traffic.

The tactics in question were not revealed by senior Iranian officials who talked to Reuters, but they seek to prevent the U.S. from bringing down oil prices ahead of the midterms.

They did say that the pace and type of attacks have changed and are targeting more vessels seeking to transit through the waterway.

A U.S. official told the outlet that Tehran has begun using unarmed spotters in small boats to find potential targets.

Iran had announced on Friday it would escalate hostilities, with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps saying in a statement that it will now pursue vessels that don't transit the routes it has approved even outside the waterway and "throughout the entire region," and that "its punishment will be definitive."

The Nicaragua-flagged Petro Dolphin was struck by a drone on Sunday, Iran International reported. Two other vessels were struck during the weekend as well, and a container ship sunk near the waterway after being hit with a projectile.

Another report noted that Iranian officials have suggested sending ground troops to countries in the region if a full-fledged war with the U.S. resumes.

The Wall Street Journal detailed that the possibility is part of different options weighed by Tehran to expand the war in such a scenario.

The report did not specify which countries would be targeted, but officials have also warned that Saudi oil facilities could also be targeted. And Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's top national security official, publicly threatened the United Arab Emirates as well.