In a dramatic turn marking one of the most severe escalations in Middle East tensions in decades, the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on Iranian targets early Saturday morning. The operation, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” by U.S. officials, targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command centers, ballistic missile sites, air defense systems, nuclear-related facilities, and key regime infrastructure across provinces including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Kermanshah, and Karaj. President Donald Trump described the strikes as necessary to eliminate “imminent threats” from Iran’s nuclear ambitions and proxy networks, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed them as a preemptive move to neutralize the “existential threat” posed by the Iranian regime.Reports from Israeli sources claimed the strikes may have killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, though Iranian state media countered that he was “safe and sound.” The attacks represent a shift from previous limited exchanges to what analysts describe as regime-change rhetoric, with Trump urging Iranians to “take over your government” and end decades of theocratic rule.
Iran’s response was swift and multifaceted. Within hours, the IRGC launched waves of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israel directly, as well as U.S. military bases across the region—including Al Udeid in Qatar, Al Dhafra in the UAE, the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, and sites in Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Explosions were reported in multiple Gulf capitals, heightening fears of a broader regional war engulfing U.S. allies.
Most alarmingly, Iran’s IRGC Navy escalated by issuing urgent warnings via VHF Channel 16 to commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf. Multiple ships reported receiving explicit broadcasts declaring: “No ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz,” with messages labeling passage “not allowed,” “unsafe,” or “banned for all ships of any type.” The EU’s Operation Aspides naval mission and UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed these reports, describing them as the IRGC effectively claiming the strait closed. Iranian state-linked media, including Tasnim News Agency, stated the waterway was “practically closed” due to the “insecure atmosphere” from U.S.-Israeli aggression and Iran’s retaliatory actions.
While Tehran has not issued a formal, nationwide blockade decree—likely to avoid self-inflicted economic damage—the IRGC’s actions have already disrupted maritime traffic. Tanker tracking data from firms like Kpler and Bloomberg show vessels making U-turns, slowing, stopping, or rerouting around the strait. Major oil companies, trading houses, and LNG shippers—including some of the world’s largest—have suspended shipments through the passage. Some owners instructed fleets to avoid Hormuz entirely, while others advised proceeding with extreme caution. The U.S. Navy issued advisories that it could not guarantee commercial vessel safety in the Persian Gulf, prompting widespread hesitation.
