ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that seven “offending” vessels were targeted overnight in the Strait of Hormuz, warning it would further target “aggressors’ bases within the region” amid reports of possible renewed attacks on Iran.

“Four offending vessels, engaged in ship-to-ship transfers of oil cargoes, have been struck simultaneously and are currently ablaze,” read a statement from IRGC’s navy forces, accusing the ships of having “utilized unauthorized paths.” 

Hostilities in and around the vital Strait of Hormuz have persisted despite an April ceasefire between the US and Iran that was followed by a soon-broken memorandum of understanding in June. Washington has been blockading Iranian ports while Tehran claims control over the waterway.

On Tuesday, the Iranian authority overseeing the Strait of Hormuz said it has added 122 ships to its “non-compliance list” since May, while over 40 have been “confronted”, adding that ships can be removed from the list if they begin to comply.

In the statement, the IRGC said three other “offending vessels” also “struck mines” in the western part of the strait, causing fires on the vessels.

The comments came following reports of a possible renewed attack against Iran ahead of elections in Israel and the US, which are scheduled for mid-October and early November, respectively.

Washington's insistence on “inciting vessels to traverse illegal, mine-laden routes has led to an increasing number of maritime incidents, the IRGC said, warning that in case of continuation of the stance “the scope of the confrontation will extend to the aggressors' bases within the region.”

“This is a serious warning,” it stressed.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Washington is “not negotiating” with Tehran, telling reporters that something will happen “one way or another, fairly soon.” 

“What we’ve done with Iran is amazing,” the US president added. 

In another segment, Trump hailed his decision to attack Iran as “one of the greatest things that we’ve done.” 

Earlier in October, IRGC said that Tehran is ready to respond with “greater force” as the possibility of new US strikes remains “very real” before the end of the upcoming US midterm elections.

On Wednesday, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, Ebrahim Azizi, warned Israel that Tehran is ready “to wipe you off the map” in response to any renewed hostilities against Iran, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming Israeli elections.