Key facts
- Iran's IRGC commander Yadollah Javani warned adversaries to "anticipate strategic surprises."
- Javani indicated Iran is preparing to shift from a defensive to an offensive military stance.
- Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed significantly over the weekend.
- Iran and Oman are continuing discussions on a secure maritime transit route through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Two Iranian drones targeted the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister's office and intelligence chief's home.
- Iran stated it will consider three missing pilots prisoners in Qatar until their fate is clarified.
Yadollah Javani, the head of the political bureau of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned adversaries to "anticipate strategic surprises," signaling a potential shift from a defensive to an offensive military posture. Javani stated that Iran would execute "whatever is necessary to defend this land, ensure security, and neutralise enemy threats at the appropriate time."
The comments coincide with a significant slowdown in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil and liquefied natural gas. Only five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, compared to 31 the previous weekend.
Meanwhile, Iran and Oman are continuing talks to establish a secure maritime transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei blaming security complications caused by US and Israeli military actions. Baghaei also stated that a 60-day period linked to a memorandum with Washington was no longer relevant, accusing the US of violating the agreement.
In a separate development, two Iranian drones targeted the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister's office and the home of the autonomous region's intelligence chief. Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called the attack "a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan region."
Additionally, Iran's foreign ministry blamed pollution in Gulf waters on decades of US wars in the region and stated that Iran will consider three missing pilots prisoners in Qatar until their fate is clarified, despite Doha's denials.