Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran. Photo: Qeshmnil via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Iran said on Saturday that its armed forces are stronger now than when the war with the United States began, as Washington offered a reward of up to $20 million for information about Tehran's nuclear programme and warned Americans across the Middle East to stay alert.
Tehran Says Its Forces Are Stronger
Iranian Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia, quoted by the state news agency IRNA on Saturday, said the country's military had grown "stronger" and more confident since the start of the war, having gained experience from direct confrontation with the United States and Israel. "Today, the Islamic Republic's armed forces... are on higher alert and are stronger than they were at the beginning of the war," he said, according to IRNA.
Akraminia also said Tehran retained control of the Strait of Hormuz and that the waterway would remain closed until its demands were met by the United States. The war began in late February, when the United States and Israel carried out a massive wave of strikes on Iran, and has been deadlocked for months. The strait normally carries about one-fifth of the world's oil consumption.
A Weekend of Claims and Strikes
Early on Saturday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that two missiles had struck Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iranian state television reported two explosions on the island. There was no official information about any damage. The Iranian army said early Saturday that its air defences had "struck and destroyed" a US drone flying over the island, according to state media. None of these claims has been independently confirmed.
On Friday, President Donald Trump confirmed that the US military had carried out new limited strikes on Iran, targeting an Iranian air defence system, and described the action as "minor." It was the first such operation since his party's midterm election losses on Tuesday. The US military had also reported defensive strikes on Monday, when explosions were heard on Qeshm and Hengam islands and near the mainland port of Bandar Abbas.
The $20 Million Reward
US Central Command said late Friday that the United States was offering a reward of up to $20 million, and possible relocation, for information about Iran's nuclear programme, through the State Department's Rewards for Justice programme. Trump has repeatedly said US forces have effectively obliterated Iran's nuclear programme.
Diplomacy Continues
Even as the strikes and claims mounted, mediation carried on. Trump called Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Friday to discuss efforts to end the war. Qatar has presented proposals to Iranian officials aimed at bridging differences over the nuclear programme, shipping through Hormuz, sanctions relief and inspections, and two Middle East government officials said earlier on Friday that Iran was reviewing them. President Masoud Pezeshkian said this week his government was still trying to resolve the crisis through dialogue.
US Warning for Americans in the Region
The State Department issued a security alert for Americans in 10 Middle Eastern countries — Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon — warning of possible armed attacks, airspace closures and widespread travel disruptions, citing an increased threat from Iranian-supported Houthi forces and Iranian efforts to target US officials.
Separately, a crew member was killed in an explosion aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Velos Sapphire on Friday, Reuters reported. Brent crude settled at $98.32 a barrel on Friday and US West Texas Intermediate at $90.83.
Sources: Reuters, The Associated Press, IRNA via The Hindu, Tasnim, US Central Command.