Iran says new missile demonstrates pre-emptive defence doctrine

Iran's state news agency reported on Monday that the solid-fuel Qassem Basir missile, described as having a half-ton warhead, greater range and improved accuracy, signals a shift in Tehran's defence posture. The agency cited remarks by Mohsen Rezaei, head of the Supreme National Security Council, who said Iran will take action against any threat even before it is carried out and hinted the missile had been tested against a U.S. warship.

The United States, which said it had intercepted ballistic missiles aimed at its warships and struck three Iranian oil tankers in response, rejected Iran's proposal to establish an “exclusion zone” in the Strait of Hormuz. The White House affirmed that the waterway remains open and under U.S. control, noting that the U.S. Navy has cleared mines and that tanker traffic to non-Iranian ports is expected to increase.

Regional officials expressed concern over the escalating rhetoric. > "No single state should control the strait," Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, told a forum in Abu Dhabi, adding that the emirate's energy exports must not be held hostage. The Arab League secretary-general, Nabil Fahmy, warned that maritime corridors should not become bargaining chips.

Shipping data showed a sharp decline in transits through the strait last week, and a recent attack on a Saudi-owned tanker resulted in two confirmed deaths and several missing crew members, marking the deadliest strike on a commercial vessel since the conflict began in late February.