Washington Claims Tehran Lost Control of Strait of Hormuz as Iran Threatens Preemptive Strikes Against US Forces

Military and diplomatic tensions between the United States and Iran escalated sharply over operational control of the Strait of Hormuz, with both nations advancing sharply conflicting narratives regarding maritime authority across the strategic waterway

Washington declared that Tehran has lost direct control over the maritime passage, while Iranian military commanders insisted that their forces maintain full dominance and warned of potential preemptive military operations against American assets deployed in the region

Senior Spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami Nia stated that Iran’s military response commenced within two hours of the attack on February 28, executed through coordinated ballistic missile launches by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and strike drone operations conducted by the regular army

Akrami Nia detailed that Iranian air forces initially targeted positions belonging to Iranian opposition groups in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, before launching targeted strikes against American military bases stationed in Kuwait and Qatar two days later

He emphasized that the military leadership had anticipated the assault, having pre-arranged operational defense plans following the breakdown of diplomatic negotiations.

Regarding the fate of three Iranian pilots whose two fighter jets were downed during operations targeting a US base in Qatar, Akrami Nia confirmed that investigations remain ongoing to establish verified facts.

He noted that Qatari authorities provided preliminary cooperation, while calling on military and government officials in Doha to intensify efforts and supply conclusive information

He maintained that Qatar’s stated lack of information does not absolve it of responsibility, while clarifying that available data does not definitively prove the pilots are held in American or Qatari custody

Addressing defense manufacturing, the Iranian military spokesman disclosed a comprehensive initiative aimed at upgrading the national missile arsenal to enhance range, velocity, and precision strike capabilities

Akrami Nia explained that these technological adjustments directly respond to battlefield intelligence indicating that opposing military forces are operating at stand-off distances exceeding one thousand kilometers beyond Iran’s coastline, confirming that industrial production continues uninterrupted to ensure strategic stockpiles meet long-term operational demands