Tehran vows retaliation

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran does not want war but will respond firmly to any further aggression. His remarks came after the United States struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island over the weekend. The attack marked the first known US strikes on Iranian territory since late July.

Pezeshkian spoke before leaving for Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where he will attend a summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders. According to Iranian media, he warned that any further attack would bring a decisive response.

“Instability and unrest in the region are not in the interest of any country,” Pezeshkian said.

Meanwhile, Iran’s military claimed it launched dozens of explosive drones at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. Iranian officials said the base hosts US personnel and military aircraft. The attack came in response to the Larak Island strike.

However, the UAE gave a more limited account. Its defence ministry said its forces dealt with a drone that entered UAE territorial waters from Iran. Officials did not reveal whether they destroyed the drone or what target it may have intended to reach.

Strait of Hormuz faces new risks

The confrontation has also increased pressure on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the strategic waterway.

The IRGC said missile fire brought the drone down into Gulf waters. It also warned of further retaliation against US forces.

The United States, meanwhile, said its forces carried out a limited operation against Iranian Revolutionary Guard units on Larak Island. A US official said those forces appeared ready to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway remains crucial to global energy markets. Nearly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the strait before the current conflict disrupted traffic.

Shipping activity has already fallen sharply. Data showed only five visible commodity vessels crossed the waterway each day over the weekend. However, the actual figure could be higher because some vessels switched off their tracking systems.

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Trump steps up pressure on Iran

US President Donald Trump has continued to warn Iran against obtaining nuclear weapons. In a Fox News interview, he said Tehran must never acquire such weapons and claimed the United States was inflicting heavy damage on Iran.

Trump also defended the US blockade and said American forces were hitting Iran “very hard.” He expressed surprise that Tehran had begun targeting Gulf countries and argued that the attacks had weakened Iran’s regional support.

At the same time, Trump shared an AI-generated video that appeared to show Iran’s Kharg Island suffering massive explosions. He claimed the island was being destroyed.

However, there was no immediate independent evidence that Kharg Island faced such an attack. Reuters reported that the video appeared to have been synthetically generated.

Iranian officials rejected Trump’s claim. Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company, said conditions on Kharg Island remained calm and that oil operations continued.

Kharg remains vital to Iran’s energy sector because it handles most of the country’s oil exports.

Jordan intercepts Iranian missiles

The conflict has also spread beyond Iran and the Gulf. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed that it targeted two US bases in Jordan with ballistic missiles and drones.

Jordan’s military later said it intercepted eight missiles that entered its airspace. Officials said the missiles did not cause harm to civilians or property.

The exchange followed the US strike on Larak Island, which Washington said targeted Iranian forces preparing to deploy sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Washington has expanded economic pressure on Tehran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration could announce new secondary sanctions every week, beginning with banks accused of facilitating Iranian financial activity.

The latest developments have raised fears of a wider regional escalation. Despite diplomatic efforts, the conflict remains unresolved, while uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz continues to threaten global shipping and energy markets.