00:08Iran is claiming a major new escalation in the battle for the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran's top
00:15security official says Iran has successfully tested and deployed a new domestically developed
00:21anti-ship cruise missile against U.S. Navy vessels near the critical waterway. Mohsin Rezai,
00:29Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state media that the missile was
00:35fired above a U.S. warship two days ago. According to Rezai, the weapon created what he called hell
00:43for the Americans and forced U.S. vessels to withdraw. Iran is presenting the alleged launch
00:50as a direct warning that Washington's naval blockade can be challenged. Rezai says the weapon
00:56represents a new phase in Iran's campaign against the American naval presence. Iranian officials say
01:04Washington's restrictions on shipping cannot be enforced indefinitely and that Tehran is prepared
01:10to use military force to break the blockade. The claim has not been independently verified.
01:17There is also no neutral confirmation that the new missile struck a U.S. warship.
01:22But the message from Tehran is unmistakable. Iran wants the United States to believe that American
01:29naval vessels operating near Hormuz can now face a new generation of Iranian anti-ship weapons.
01:37The Iranian warning goes even further. Rezai rejected U.S. claims that the Strait of Hormuz
01:44remains open to international shipping. He declared the waterway completely closed and said Iran has control
01:51over the passage. Tehran is also planning a new restricted maritime zone extending from the American
01:59blockade line into parts of the Persian Gulf. Iran says vessels entering the area without coordination
02:06could be placed on a sanctions list that would put commercial shipping operators in an increasingly
02:12dangerous position between competing American and Iranian demands. The missile claim comes after a dramatic
02:20weekend confrontation at sea. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched ballistic missiles
02:28toward a U.S. aircraft carrier and a destroyer. Tehran accused the American warships of harassing
02:35Iranian shipping and supporting the blockade. But U.S. Central Command says the American vessels
02:41successfully evaded multiple attacks. Washington reported no American casualties.
02:47The United States then said it struck three Iranian oil tankers linked to the IRGC's shadow fleet,
02:56escalating the confrontation from warships to energy shipping. The confrontation is now threatening
03:02more than military vessels. Three Iranian oil tankers were reportedly disabled by U.S. forces after the
03:10attacks on American warships. Washington says those vessels were connected to an Iranian shadow fleet
03:17network, used to generate revenue for the IRGC and its proxies. Iran, meanwhile, has warned that
03:25American naval vessels could face even more severe attacks if Iranian ships continue to be targeted.
03:32That raises the possibility of a dangerous retaliation cycle, missiles against warships, strikes against tankers,
03:40and new threats to commercial shipping. The Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of the confrontation.
03:47The waterway is one of the world's most important routes for oil and gas shipments. But shipping traffic has
03:54fallen sharply as commercial operators face conflicting warnings, military activity, and the growing risk of attack.
04:02Explosions have been reported around the southern approaches to the strait,
04:06although independent confirmation of specific incidents remains limited. Every new missile launch
04:12or maritime warning raises the danger that commercial vessels could become caught in the escalating
04:19confrontation. Now, Iran is signaling that it may be prepared to push the confrontation even further.
04:26The reported first use of a new anti-ship cruise missile, if confirmed, would add another weapon to
04:33Iran's efforts to challenge American naval power around Hormuz. But for now, key details remain unverified.
04:40Iran claims its missile forced U.S. warships back. Washington says its vessels evaded Iranian attacks
04:48and remained operational. Between those competing accounts lies a dangerous reality. The Strait of Hormuz is
04:56becoming a battlefield, and every new confrontation carries the risk of drawing military forces and
05:02commercial shipping deeper into the crisis.
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