US Strike on Iranian Launchers and Regional Escalation
U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island, Reuters reported, citing a U.S. official. The launchers were being prepared by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces to fire rockets equipped with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media confirmed that several soldiers and civilians were killed and injured in the attack. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded that the strike would be met with a “response and punishment.”
In a rare written message posted on his Telegram account during Islamic Unity Week, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urged Gulf rulers to unite against what he termed their “real enemy.” He called on Muslim countries, especially Gulf states, to strengthen cooperation and mutual defence, warning that divisions among Muslim nations benefit adversaries. Earlier in the week, Khamenei had urged Iranian authorities to avoid statements that could weaken public morale. He has not appeared publicly since being injured in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes six months ago that also killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The IRGC Intelligence Organization warned that the “enemy” was employing psychological warfare to undermine national stability and resilience. It stated that Iran’s response would be to disrupt the enemy’s command capabilities, strike networks of terrorist collaborators, and confront those seeking to undermine stability and unity.
Iran continues to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, maintaining pressure on global energy markets. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran was in no hurry to reopen the strategic waterway. The IRGC affirmed it remains firmly in control of the strait, rejecting U.S. statements about shipping access and accusing Washington of attempting to influence energy prices. The closure remains one of the war’s biggest risks to global oil supplies, with the strait serving as a critical route for crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports from the Gulf.
Diplomatic efforts have yet to produce a breakthrough. Iraq has offered to act as a bridge between Tehran and Washington, while the Trump administration has stepped up economic pressure on Iran. Lebanon’s foreign ministry instructed Iran to conduct its relations through the country’s legitimate state institutions after Iran’s foreign minister expressed a desire to engage both the Lebanese government and other political factions.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported a delayed notice of a tanker struck by an unknown projectile 12 nautical miles north of Khasab, Oman, while transiting the Strait of Hormuz; no casualties were reported. Additionally, Yemen’s National Resistance Forces, an anti‑Houthi faction supporting the internationally recognised government, intercepted a vessel in the Red Sea that was reportedly transporting Iranian military equipment to the Houthis; the shipment included components intended for the production and development of attack drones.
These developments occur roughly six months into the conflict, with Tehran facing intensified U.S. sanctions alongside continuing military and economic pressure.