Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday that they had turned back three ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, adding the route was closed to vessels travelling to and from ports "belonging to allies and supporters of the Zionist-American enemies."

"This morning, following the lies of the corrupt US president claiming that the Strait of Hormuz was open, three container ships of different nationalities... were turned back after a warning from the IRGC Navy," the Guards said on their Sepah News website.

"The movement of any vessel 'to and from' ports of origin belonging to allies and supporters of the Zionist-American enemies, to any destination and through any corridor, is prohibited," it added.

The energy market intelligence firm Kpler said Friday it had identified two container ships belonging to Chinese firm COSCO that had attempted to cross the narrow waterway off the coast of Iran, but had turned around.

It said the two vessels had been stuck in the Gulf since the start of the war, sparked by US and Israeli attacks on February 28.

"This marks the first such crossing attempt by a major carrier since the beginning of the conflict," data analyst Rebecca Gerdes at Kpler said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran had allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as a "present" to show it was serious about negotiations to end the war.

Earlier today, the IRGC urged civilians across the Middle East Friday to stay away from areas near US forces, ramping up its threats despite President Donald Trump's claim talks to end the month-long war were "going well".

The Guards' warning came after Trump again extended a deadline for Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its energy assets, pushing it from Friday to April 6.

Trump said he did so at Tehran's request, insisting the Islamic republic wanted "to make a deal" to end the war engulfing the region since the United States and Israel first attacked Iran on February 28.

But the Iranian side, which has made it clear it wants to end fighting on its own terms, indicated no let up in reprisal attacks against Israel and targets across the Gulf.

Accusing "cowardly American-Zionist forces" of resorting to "human shields", the country's powerful Guards issued a stark warning to civilians.

"We recommend that you urgently leave locations where American forces are stationed so that no harm comes to you," they said -- hours after Iran's military threatened to target hotels housing US soldiers across the region.

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The warning came as Kuwait said its main commercial port was damaged in a drone attack at dawn.

The Guards also said the Strait of Hormuz was "closed" to vessels travelling to and from enemy ports, and that they had turned back three ships seeking to cross the transit point.

"This morning, following the lies of the corrupt US president claiming that the Strait of Hormuz was open, three container ships of different nationalities... were turned back after a warning from the IRGC Navy," the Guards said on their Sepah News website.