Tensions in the Middle East have escalated once again after Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for launching a wave of missile and drone strikes against US and Israeli military positions, saying the attack forced an American amphibious assault ship to retreat, according to Tasnim News Agency.
The IRGC announced on Monday that its naval and aerospace forces had carried out “Operation True Promise 4,” a large-scale joint offensive targeting command, logistical, and military-industrial sites belonging to the United States and Israel. The statement said this was the 98th phase of the continuing retaliatory campaign that began after the February 28 assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and several senior commanders.
According to Iranian reports, the first strike hit the Israeli cargo ship SDN7, which allegedly caught fire after being struck by cruise missiles. The attack was followed by ballistic missile barrages on several Israeli cities and industrial zones, including Haifa, Be’er Sheva, and Petah Tikva. The IRGC claimed that Israel’s “advanced air defense systems failed to intercept the missiles.”
Among the most significant claims, Iran said its forces struck the US Navy’s LHA-7 amphibious assault ship, which carries more than 5,000 sailors and Marines, forcing it to withdraw deep into the southern Indian Ocean after sustaining heavy damage.
The IRGC added that joint drone production facilities run by the United Arab Emirates and Israel, as well as several aircraft stored at Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, were also targeted in the attack.
Iran’s military warned that further “offensive operations” would continue as long as enemy strikes persist, noting that IRGC naval units are closely monitoring traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, ready to respond to any “minor movement” by US or Israeli forces.
The conflict marks one of the most dangerous escalations since hostilities erupted in late February. Both the US and Israel launched widespread airstrikes inside Iran following the assassination, causing significant civilian and infrastructure damage. Iran’s strikes now signal that this confrontation is far from over.
