Hyderabad, May 18 -- Regional tensions escalated sharply on Monday, May 18, after senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei warned the United States to end its naval blockade, saying the Gulf could become a "graveyard" for American forces if the confrontation deepens.

Rezaei, a member of Tehran's Expediency Council and former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), described the US blockade of Iranian ports as an "act of war".

Speaking on Iranian state television, he said Tehran's military remained prepared for further confrontation while diplomacy continued.

"We advise the US military to end the siege before the Gulf of Oman becomes your graveyard," Rezaei said.

He warned that prolonging the blockade could disrupt g...