Shipping in the Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which carries around a fifth of the world's oil, has come to a near-standstill since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28
"You never like to say too early you won. We won," US President Donald Trump told a campaign-style rally in Hebron, Kentucky. "In the first hour, it was over."
Iran is using Mojtaba Khamenei's injuries to craft a hero image, but experts question if he is truly in charge, citing his silence and absence from public view since his appointment.
The officials, who remained unnamed, said that the main concern of the regime is a resumption of the operations by Israel once the current war is over, Bloomberg noted.
The building had originally been a part of the adjacent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval base, though officials told the NYT that it isn’t clear when the two had separated.
Iran’s regime strengthens its grip on dissent, with continued arrests and a strict internet blackout, as the threat of future protests looms over the country’s fragile stability.
"Civilian ports used for military purposes lose protected status and become legitimate military targets under international law," CENTCOM stated.
Iran has deployed about a dozen mines in the Strait of Hormuz, two sources familiar with the matter said.
He added that the US's mission is to end Iran’s ability to “project power” and harass international shipping crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
"Little this and that... Any time I want it to end, it will end," Trump said about the war with Iran during the five-minute interview with Axios.
Jaber Rajabi, former Iranian official and ex-study partner of supreme leader, shares a warning that Mojtaba Khamenei is a greater threat than his father.
