War in the Middle East: Iranian Navy says supertanker sunk in the Persian Gulf

The Israeli military has confirmed the killing of a Hamas commander during an operation carried out overnight in the south of the Gaza Strip. Samir Mahmoud Hassan Abu Younis had been in charge of the Rafah Brigade, in the south of the Palestinian enclave, for two months, the IDF reported via X, accusing him of having “directed terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel” and of having “worked to restore Hamas’s military capabilities”. The group itself has also reported his death.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has criticised the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for adopting a biased approach under the influence of the United States, stating that the Agency’s conduct undermines its credibility and makes any improvement in relations with Iran impossible under the current circumstances. This was reported by the Iranian news agency Tasnim. During Sunday’s weekly press conference, Esmaeil Baghaei challenged a recent report by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, arguing that the Agency suffers from a structural problem in the way it publishes its documents. He described this shortcoming as a gap that needs to be addressed, adding that its persistence appears deliberate. Baghaei stated that the IAEA, influenced by the United States and its biased approach, continues to insist on the course of action it has previously taken. He also warned that the report, which is biased against Iran, has damaged the Agency’s credibility and will result in consequences for the Agency. Baqaei noted that a significant aspect of Grossi’s report is the Agency’s acknowledgement that the military attacks against Iran have created an unprecedented situation. However, Baqaei observed, the IAEA should have explicitly stated that military aggression by the United States and Israel was the main cause. “Unfortunately, following these attacks, the IAEA has ignored this obvious fact,” he said. Baqaei reiterated that, as long as the current situation persists, no improvement in relations between Iran and the Agency will be possible. Commenting on the IAEA’s request to have its inspectors return to Iran, Baghaei stated that the Agency cannot make such a request without taking into account the background to the matter. “The IAEA must decide whether it wants to be a technical body or whether it intends to remain under the influence of certain countries,” he said.

The Pasdaran claim to have struck the radar of a US air defence system within the Riffa airbase in Bahrain using six drones. This was reported by the Iranian news agency Fars, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, as cited by Al Jazeera. The claim came as sirens blared across the country and the Ministry of the Interior issued alerts regarding a potential threat. The authorities in Manama urged the public to remain calm and seek shelter at the nearest safe place. The Pasdaran also reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, despite what Tehran has described as the US’s failure to escort ships through the waterway. Any further US aggression, they warned, would be met with an “even harsher and more devastating” response.

Iran is believed to still possess an arsenal of between 1,500 and 2,500 missiles, despite months of US and Israeli attacks on its military infrastructure. This is according to a US intelligence assessment cited by the Wall Street Journal, which suggests that Tehran retains significant capabilities to strike US and allied targets in the region should hostilities resume. US officials point out that the estimate is considered to be of low reliability, due to the difficulties in determining how many missiles are ready for launch and how many are stored in depots. The rebuilding of Iran’s arsenal has been factored into the Trump administration’s assessments regarding the possibility of further attacks. Israeli assessments, in turn, indicate that Tehran still possesses over 1,500 ballistic missiles.

“Those who have fled their homes to take refuge in military bunkers, out of fear of imminent threats, would do better to reflect on their own strategic failures in the Persian Gulf, rather than insulting the great nations”, said the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, addressing US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. On Friday, the US official had described Iran as a “dangerous animal cornered”, after allegedly being threatened by the Iranian government. According to reports, Bessent had been forced to move from his home to a military base. “The absurd statements and immoral language used by the US Treasury Secretary reveal his deep desperation in the face of Iran’s strength,” added Ghalibaf, as quoted by the Iranian news agency IRNA.

Explosions were heard overnight in Bahrain; Iran has stated that it carried out a drone attack on a US base in the Gulf state. Air-raid sirens sounded and the authorities issued several warning messages on social media, urging the public to seek shelter. “The US air defence radar system at the Al-Riffa helicopter base in Bahrain was targeted by six drones belonging to the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” they stated in a message on Telegram. The US military stated that it had intercepted and shot down the two drones. Bahrain, which is home to a major US naval base, is one of the Gulf states to have suffered numerous attacks from Tehran since the start of the war in the Middle East.