TEHRAN, May 8. /TASS/. Iran’s army will retaliate to any the United States’ actions geared toward a naval blockade of the Islamic Republic, Iranian lawmaker Ali Hazarian said.

"From now on, the United States’ actions involving a naval blockade will be met with a military response from Iran," the Fars news agency quoted him as saying. He recommended that Washington provide its destroyers with more auxiliary ships to save their crews after they are hit by Iranian forces.

Another spiral of escalation occurred in the Gulf area late on May 7 when the United States and Iran exchanged strikes. According to the Iranian state television, the new escalation was triggered by the United States’ attack on an Iranian tanker which was followed by Iran’s attack on three American destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz. After that, the US Central Command delivered a series of strikes on military targets in Iran.