Iran additionally launched drones at an air base within the United Arab Emirates, with that nation’s protection ministry saying its air pressure had “engaged” not less than one drone.

Iran’s Ministry of International Affairs warned that the nation’s forces would “firmly reply as applicable to any army aggression,” in a press release carried by the semiofficial Fars information company.

Final week, President Donald Trump mentioned all mines laid within the Strait of Hormuz by Iran had been eliminated or detonated, and that Iran had been warned that any vessel looking for to put new ones could be destroyed.

CENTCOM refuted Tehran’s branding of its assault as an act of “aggression,” saying in its publish that “Iran created the menace and the U.S. army eradicated it to guard civilian mariners, business delivery, and the free circulate of worldwide commerce.”

Larak Island, the location focused by the U.S. strikes, is a small Iranian island positioned off the coast of Bandar Abbas within the Strait of Hormuz, the important thing commerce route by means of which some 20% of the world’s oil handed earlier than the battle started.

The important waterway has been largely closed all through the battle, with Iran launching a blockade on the commerce route in a transfer that has despatched vitality costs hovering, whereas the U.S. has imposed its personal blockade on Iranian ports in response.

Posting on his Reality Social platform, Trump appeared to threaten the potential for additional motion towards Iran, posting what gave the impression to be an AI-generated video displaying a army member searching of an plane as what seems to be oil infrastructure explodes.

“Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!” the video is captioned, accompanied by Trump’s sign-off. Earlier than the battle, Kharg Island, which Trump has repeatedly threatened to grab, accounted for greater than 90% of Iran’s oil exports.

An Iranian vitality official dismissed Trump’s obvious menace, telling the semiofficial Fars information company that the posts had been “absurd and the scenario on Kharg is calm and steady.”

He mentioned oil operations had not stopped and that employees had been busy repairing earlier harm “with out interruption.”