Rezaei made the statement in an interview with Iranian state television, Ukrinform reports, citing Anadolu.

According to him, Iran's armed forces had completed preparations for the strikes before the operation was called off.

Speaking about the Strait of Hormuz, Rezaei said Iran would not allow any maritime route through the strait outside Iran's designated route. He warned that any "hostile" naval vessel attempting to use an "illegal route" would be targeted.

He also said that Iran had inflicted heavy losses on U.S. forces during the recent 17-day conflict, adding that Iranian missile and drone attacks had thwarted Washington's military objectives.

On July 25, Iran accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, claiming that one sailor was killed and another injured.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said that Ukrainian forces had struck a warship and vessels involved in transporting military cargo from Iran in the Caspian Sea.

Later, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, for what he described as a "frank conversation."

According to Sybiha, Araghchi said during the call that Kyiv should compensate Tehran for the damage caused by the attack.

Photo: sina drakhshani / Unsplash