CENTCOM Urges Iranian Civilians To Avoid Ports

RFE
11 Mar 2026, 12:00 GMT+10

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17:03

US Military Urges Iranian Civilians To Avoid Ports

US Central Command warned Iranian civilians on March 11 to avoid port facilities where Iranian naval forces are operating, saying the Islamic republic is using civilian ports along the Strait of Hormuz for military activity.

In astatement, CENTCOM urged civilians --including dockworkers, port staff, and commercial ship crews -- to stay away from areas where naval vessels and military equipment are present.

"US forces urge civilians in Iran to immediately avoid all port facilities where Iranian naval forces are operating," the command said.

It added that ports used for military purposes could lose protected civilian status under international law and become legitimate military targets.

"The US military takes every feasible precaution to minimize harm to civilians but cannot guarantee civilian safety near facilities used by the Iranian regime for military purposes," the statement said.

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16:45

Is The US Considering Seizing Iran's Kharg Island?

Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export outlet, could be a target for the United States, experts say, in a move that could cut off the revenues that sustain Tehran's sanctions-hit economy.

But the possible capture of the tiny island in the Persian Gulf, which handles around 90 percent of all Iranian oil exports, would mark a major escalation in the US-Israeli war on Iran. It is also unlikely to land a fatal economic blow to the Islamic republic, experts say.

To read the full report, clickhere.

If the United States attempts to seize control of the island, a scrubby piece of land, Iran could decide to destroy the oil terminals located on Kharg.

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15:56

Iran Says 'Under No Circumstances' Will Play In World Cup

Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced on March 11 that Iran cannot participate in the FIFA World Cup that will be held this year in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Donyamali told Iranian state TV that after the killing of Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of the Islamic republic, in attacks by the United States and Israel, "Under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup."

"Our sons are not safe, and fundamentally there are no conditions for participating in these competitions," he said, referring to the players of the national soccer team.

Hours earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced he had met with US President Donald Trump, who he said told him he welcomes Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup.

Referring to the news of players from Iran's women's soccer team seeking asylum while in Australia, Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian football federation, said on March 10, that a "similar scenario" could happen with the men's national team at the World Cup.

"No reasonable person would support sending Iran's national soccer team to the United States," he said.

IRGC Claims Strike On Liberian-Flagged Vessel

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said it had struck a Liberian-flagged vessel in the Strait Of Hormuz that it claimed was owned by Israel.

Tehran has indicated it considers the ships transferring oil to the United States, Israel, and "their partners" as "legitimate" targets.

"We won't allow even one liter of oil to reach the US, Zionists, and their partners. Any vessel or tanker bound to them will be a legitimate target," said Iran's military command spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari on March 11.

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15:10

Amid Ongoing Public Absence, Is Iran's New Leader In Control?

Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is probably in charge despite making no public appearance since being appointed on March 8 and amid reports that he was injured in an air strike, according to a leading Israeli expert on Iran.

Speaking to RFE/RL in Tel Aviv on March 11, Raz Zimmt, who is head of the Iran program at the Institute for National Security Studies, said the question is whether Khamenei would be capable of maintaining "daily contacts with the political and security establishment" to preserve "the ability of the regime to function."

To read the full interview, clickhere.