Iran has vowed to defend its territory against continued US military actions, as Washington intensified its campaign with new operations in the Strait of Hormuz and the United Nations warned that the growing confrontation risks triggering a wider regional conflict.
Speaking during a ceremony honouring the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attended by senior Iranian officials and foreign ambassadors, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States and its allies had failed to achieve their objectives despite continued military pressure.
“They continue their empty rhetoric while carrying out these actions,” Pezeshkian said. “But have they achieved their goals on the ground? Those who sought to tear Iran apart what have their efforts ultimately achieved? We will, in practice and based on our beliefs and convictions, defend every inch of our territory.”
His remarks came as the administration of US President Donald Trump continued military operations against Iran, with strikes targeting military and strategic sites across the country in recent days.
The latest escalation also extended to the Strait of Hormuz, where the US military said it had disabled an oil tanker that it accused of attempting to breach Washington’s naval blockade on Iran.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), a US aircraft fired Hellfire missiles into the smokestack of the Curacao-flagged tanker M/T Belma, preventing it from reaching Iran’s Kharg Island. CENTCOM claimed the vessel ignored repeated warnings while sailing through international waters toward an Iranian port and said the tanker is no longer capable of completing its journey.
The operation marks another significant escalation in US efforts to increase economic and military pressure on Iran, following weeks of airstrikes and naval operations targeting Iranian infrastructure and maritime activities.
As tensions continue to rise, the United Nations has expressed growing alarm over the deteriorating situation.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is “deeply concerned” by the escalating confrontation between the United States and Iran.
His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, warned that a return to full-scale hostilities “would exact an intolerable toll on civilians and have catastrophic consequences for international peace and security and the global economy.”
The latest developments come amid one of the most dangerous periods in US-Iran relations in years, with both sides hardening their positions as military operations continue across the region and international calls for de-escalation grow louder.
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