Iran has launched a new wave of missile and drone attacks across the Persian Gulf, also targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz and significantly increasing tensions in the region.
According to reports, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has drawn up a new plan for controlling maritime transit according to Tehran's terms, which in practice aims to expand its influence beyond the strait, to the Fujairah area in the United Arab Emirates - a key hub for oil exports.
The situation escalated further after the launch of the operation called "Operation Freedom", announced by US President Donald Trump. Reports speak of direct clashes at sea, where, according to Washington, several IRGC fast boats targeting civilian vessels were sunk.
The head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, stated that US helicopters have destroyed six Iranian vessels and opened a safe corridor in the Strait of Hormuz, establishing a "protective umbrella" for commercial shipping.
Meanwhile, Iranian attacks on targets in Fujairah and on Emirati territory have been widely condemned by the international community, including Gulf countries and European leaders, gathered in Yerevan.
Emirati authorities say at least 12 ballistic missiles, several other rockets and drones were launched, while a residential building in Oman was also hit, without further details on casualties.
The rhetoric from Tehran has hardened. Hard-line politician Hossein Shariatmadari has warned that military bases in European countries that support the US could become legitimate targets for attacks.
He stressed that Europe is "very vulnerable" to potential shocks and has limited capacities to cope with them.
Along the same lines, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that Iran "has not yet started" and that the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz has created a "new equation" of security.
In parallel with the military developments, incidents are also being reported inside Iran. A large fire has been recorded at the Dayyer port in Bushehr province, where two merchant ships have been engulfed in flames.
Residents in the south of the country have also reported explosions in the city of Bandar Abbas and on the island of Qeshm, further adding to the climate of insecurity.
The situation in the Persian Gulf remains extremely tense, with the risk of a wider escalation continuing to worry the international community.
