Iran Warns US Forces of Missile Strikes While Threatening New Maritime Controls Across the Gulf.

Iran threatened to impose a maritime exclusion zone in the Persian Gulf and said it fired a Qassem Basir ballistic missile at U.S. warships near the Strait of Hormuz, while the vessels avoided the attack. The move adds missile, mine, and fast-attack-craft pressure on a critical energy corridor as Washington tightens economic restrictions and maintains layered regional defenses.

The solid-fuel Qassem Basir has a stated range of at least 1,200 km and uses terminal electro-optical guidance, while Iranian forces can also employ naval mines and fast attack craft to disrupt traffic and force sustained escort and clearance operations. U.S. forces in the region rely on Aegis-equipped destroyers, Patriot and THAAD batteries, and mine-countermeasure systems, as indirect mediation continues without an announced resumption of direct U.S.-Iran talks.

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IRGC naval forces operating in the Persian Gulf amid continuing tensions with U.S. forces around the Strait of Hormuz. (Picture source: Tasnim News Agency)

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, presents the planned zone as a response to what Tehran describes as U.S. “economic warfare.” Iran also intends to publish new navigation maps establishing a corridor operating under its own conditions of passage. Details have yet to be released, but the measure directly targets the U.S. blockade and vessels continuing to transit this strategic waterway.

The Qassem Basir is one of the systems highlighted in support of this approach. Presented in May 2025, the solid-fuel ballistic missile is derived from the Haj Qassem and has a stated range of at least 1,200 km. Iranian authorities attribute to it a terminal electro-optical guidance system, reportedly based on an infrared sensor, designed to reduce dependence on GPS and retain accuracy in a jamming environment. Tehran also claims that modifications to the reentry vehicle improve maneuverability during the final phase of flight. These performance claims remain difficult to verify independently.

This range places much of the Gulf and several U.S. military installations within reach from Iranian territory. Against a moving vessel, however, employment of the Qassem Basir requires a demanding targeting chain involving detection, identification, continuous tracking, data transmission and rapid updating of the firing solution. Iran’s claim that the missile was used against U.S. warships therefore does not by itself demonstrate a fully established anti-ship capability, particularly as U.S. Central Command states that the targeted vessels avoided the missiles.

Iran’s maritime threat is not limited to ballistic weapons. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retains fast attack craft that can harass shipping, approach merchant vessels, or support mine-laying operations. U.S. forces again struck Iranian mine warfare capabilities in early September. Even a limited number of mines can slow commercial traffic until a channel has been surveyed and cleared. The United States has employed unmanned underwater vehicles and other autonomous systems in mine countermeasure operations. At the same time, Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships can receive dedicated mine countermeasure mission packages that include systems such as the Knifefish unmanned underwater vehicle.

Against missiles and drones, U.S. warships rely on layered defensive systems. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers use the Aegis combat system, with the AN/SPY-1D(V) multifunction radar on relevant ships and Mk 41 vertical launch systems capable of employing interceptors including the SM-2 and SM-6. Close-in weapon systems, naval guns and embarked helicopters provide additional protection against surface threats. On land, Patriot and THAAD batteries contribute to missile defense, supported by regional coordination through the Middle Eastern Air Defense Combined Defense Operations Cell at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

At the tactical and operational levels, Iran is seeking to combine several categories of threat rather than rely on a single weapon system. Ballistic missiles, drones, mines, fast attack craft, and pressure on commercial shipping require U.S. forces to protect warships, military bases, and maritime routes at the same time. Washington retains conventional military superiority and has degraded a substantial portion of Iran’s naval capabilities. Still, the geography of the Strait of Hormuz allows Tehran to preserve a residual threat with dispersed assets. A complete closure of the strait is not required to generate operational effects if the risk environment forces escorts, delays in commercial traffic or sustained mine clearance operations.

As of September 8, Washington appears to favor a combination of increased economic pressure and limited military action rather than an announced return to a large-scale campaign. Reuters reports that several advisers to Donald Trump are seeking to contain the intensity of military operations ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, while the oil blockade and sanctions are being tightened in an effort to obtain concessions on Iran’s nuclear program, freedom of navigation and Tehran’s regional activities. No direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran have been officially announced or scheduled. Mediation efforts led by Oman, Qatar and Pakistan nevertheless remain active, including discussions concerning new maritime routes through the strait and a possible return to the framework established during talks in June. At this stage, neither a formal resumption of negotiations nor a new agreement has been announced.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.

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