Iranian Officials Call for Direct Attacks on Israel Amid Rising Tensions with US

Voices in Tehran are increasingly urging a shift from targeting American assets in the Gulf to direct attacks on Israel. Senior Iranian officials and regime-affiliated media have threatened that US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will pay for the assassination of Iranian leaders, framing strikes on Israel as a direct blow to the United States. General Mohsen Rezaei, military advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, described revenge for Iranian casualties as a "serious matter" and part of the revolution, warning that Trump and Netanyahu have crossed Iran's red lines and that Tehran must respond with decisive punishment. He cautioned that if assassinations become routine, no country will enjoy security.

Hussein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of the conservative newspaper Kayhan, explicitly called for attacks on Israel, describing it as the "closest American state" to Iran and asserting that strikes on Israeli infrastructure would also severely impact the US. He also advocated continuing attacks on US bases in Gulf countries, accusing host nations of enabling US and Israeli operations against Iran, and stated that an attack on Israel would be considered a direct attack on the US.

Earlier, Iranian parliament security committee spokesman Ebrahim Rezaei claimed Iran had forcibly taken control of the Strait of Hormuz and intends to maintain control. Reports from Al Arabiya indicated Iran renewed attacks on Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait, with these countries activating defense systems amid heightened security and civilian warnings. The Iranian-linked Saberin news agency listed recent targets including bases in Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and US military fuel depots.

The British Maritime Authority maintained a "severe" maritime threat level in the Strait of Hormuz, urging ships to exercise caution. Pakistan and India called for de-escalation amid rising US-Iran tensions and the recent attack on the GFS Galaxy container ship near Oman. Saudi Arabia condemned Iran's actions as destabilizing and violating international law.

The US military conducted a large-scale strike on Iran overnight, hitting approximately 140 targets, a significant increase from previous attacks this week. Iranian reports indicated some targets were far from Iran's coast and the Hormuz area, though most fighting remains concentrated there. According to the Wall Street Journal, Tehran views control of the Strait of Hormuz as more valuable than potential sanctions relief from the Trump administration. Iranian leadership believes the regime has emerged stronger despite heavy blows and established itself as a new dominant regional power.