Iran Employs Advanced "Electro-Optical" Missiles on US Vessels, Warns of Gulf Escalation

Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched attacks against US warships near the Strait of Hormuz, using advanced electro-optical guidance systems for the first time, according to the American newspaper "New York Post." Reports, cited by the newspaper from Iranian sources, indicated that the Revolutionary Guard's Aerospace Force launched ballistic missiles targeting 10 US ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks also included targeting a US military base in Jordan. These operations come in retaliation for previous US strikes that destroyed five Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island. These missiles are believed to utilize optical sensors and cameras to track and hit targets with high precision, thus avoiding reliance on the Global Positioning System (GPS) and making them resistant to jamming. Sources suggested that the new weapon might be the "Qassem Basir" medium-range ballistic missile, which Tehran unveiled last year, featuring a half-ton warhead and a range exceeding 1200 kilometers. For his part, Mohsen Rezaei, the new Secretary-General of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated that the recent attack saw the emergence of a new "anti-destroyer" missile, describing it as part of a new defensive strategy based on "active deterrence" rather than "reactive deterrence." In contrast, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed these attacks but emphasized that they all failed. CENTCOM indicated that Iranian missiles were intercepted in Jordan, confirming no casualties or damage to US forces or their vessels. The US Command officially denied claims of targeting US destroyers, noting that its warships successfully evaded attack attempts and continued their patrols. CENTCOM had previously announced the destruction of 10 Iranian oil tankers last week, amidst a mutual escalation that raises concerns about navigation security in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a passage for about 20% of global oil supplies. In an escalating move, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned of imminent strikes on oil tankers and military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, urging all crews to evacuate vessels immediately, signaling a potential widening of the military confrontation in the region.