Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday claimed full control over the Strait of Hormuz and warned that it would not allow US military vessels to enter the Persian Gulf. The warning came after President Donald Trump threatened to launch "another little Epic Fury" against Tehran if it failed to reach an agreement.

Iranian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Major General Ali Abdollahi claimed Iranian forces had weakened the US Navy’s ability to operate in the region.

"The US president must only dream of their military and army entering the Persian Gulf again. They will take this wish to their graves," Abdollahi said, according to state broadcaster Press TV.

"We will under no circumstances and at no time allow US military vessels to enter the Persian Gulf," he added.

US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack said on Friday that Washington could strike Iran over the weekend, although Trump remained open to a diplomatic deal.

"Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely," Barrack said during an interview with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur Mario Nawfal.

Barrack said regional countries, including Pakistan and Qatar, were involved in diplomatic efforts. Discussions reportedly covered the Strait of Hormuz, uranium enrichment, sanctions relief, frozen Iranian assets and security commitments towards Israel.

When asked about the possibility of an imminent strike after arriving in Florida, Trump distanced himself from the ambassador's remarks.

"That was my ambassador? He's a pretty powerful man, I guess. If that's the case, I don't know anything about it," Trump said.

Later, Trump warned at an election rally in Florida that Washington could launch "another little Epic Fury" if Tehran failed to reach an agreement.

Separately, the IRGC Navy claimed that two supertankers carrying more than 4.5 million barrels of crude oil combined struck naval mines while attempting to use an unauthorised southern route through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported the navy's claim that explosions and severe fires in the vessels' engine rooms disabled the tankers and forced their crews to abandon the ships. The claims could not be independently verified, and no immediate confirmation from the operators was available.

Iran has restricted maritime traffic through the waterway and warned vessels against attempting to pass without coordinating with its authorities.

Abdollahi also challenged Trump's claims that Iran's nuclear facilities had been destroyed.

"If you have destroyed everything, then what is the meaning of repeating this delusion?" he said, accusing Washington of misleading public opinion.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that Persian Gulf oil exports had exceeded pre-conflict levels despite Iran's attempts to disrupt shipping.

"Despite Iran’s efforts to disrupt energy shipments, oil exports from the Persian Gulf are roaring back and have surpassed pre-conflict levels."

"The message is clear: Iran’s threats have failed to stop the flow of energy to global markets," he added.