Iran Says Improved Ballistic Missile Shows It Will Take Preemptive Action Against Threats

Missile Doctrine and Test

Iran state media said on Monday that a ballistic missile with improved capabilities was demonstrating a new doctrine, with Tehran “will take action against any threat, even before it is carried out.” The report repeatedly cited comments aired on state TV the day before by Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who boasted of new missile capability and claimed it had been “tested” against a U.S. warship.

The U.S. said on Saturday that ballistic missiles were launched at U.S. warships and that it struck three Iranian oil tankers in response, while saying the warships evaded the attacks.

The AP report said it was not clear whether what was tested was the solid-fueled Qassem Basir described in the new report, and it said the Qassem Basir was unveiled last year with at least a 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) range.

The report also said Monday that the Qassem Basir marks “a turning point in Iran’s defense strategy,” describing it as having greater range and accuracy and a half-ton warhead.

Reporting for this sectionAssociated Press

Strait of Hormuz Clash

The White House responded to plans announced by Rezaei to create an “exclusion zone” near the Strait of Hormuz, saying the waterway is open and controlled by the U.S. The AP said the U.S. Navy had cleared the strait of mines, and that tanker traffic to non-Iranian ports would increase.

The AP reported that a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports continues to increase Tehran’s economic pain by limiting its oil exports, and it said that as of Monday, 94 commercial vessels had been redirected and three had been disabled.

Tehran wants ships to follow a route it chooses through the strait, which the AP said was considered an international waterway before the war, and Rezaei acknowledged that the U.S. has been helping a limited number of ships transit on a route off Oman.

The AP added that Kpler noted on X that transits through the waterway dropped sharply last week, after a week ago attack on a Saudi-owned tanker killed two crew members and left seven unaccounted for.

The Independent also framed the White House response as dismissing the “exclusion zone,” saying the waterway is open and controlled by the U.S. and that the U.S. Navy had cleared the strait of mines.

Reporting for this sectionAssociated PressThe Independent

Regional Reactions and Nuclear Stakes

Regional countries expressed frustration over the uncertainty around the strait, with Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, saying at a forum of world leaders in Abu Dhabi that “No single state” should control the strait. The AP reported that Nabil Fahmy, secretary-general of the Arab League, told a ministerial-level meeting in Cairo that “we will not accept our maritime corridors to become a bargaining chip in the calculations of others” and condemned Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations. In parallel, The Times of Israel reported that UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi urged Tehran to cooperate as Western nations seek to refer it to the Security Council, and it said Grossi told a press conference after opening the quarterly meeting of the IAEA board of governors: “The best, shortest way for a positive outcome is for Iran to engage with us.”

The Times of Israel said a resolution drafted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany is expected to be submitted and voted on this week to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for failing to comply with its nuclear reporting obligations, and it quoted the draft asking Grossi to “submit this resolution to all members of the agency and to the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations.” The Times of Israel also said the IAEA has not had access to key nuclear facilities in Iran since Israel, joined by the United States, launched a 12-day conflict in June 2025 that included strikes on nuclear sites.

Reporting for this sectionAssociated PressThe Times of Israel