Iran reportedly deployed its new electro-optical missile technology for the first time on Wednesday in an attempted strike on US warships, as Tehran escalated its retaliatory operations against American military assets in the region, officials said.
According to officials, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched an overnight barrage aimed at US forces in Jordan as well as 10 American vessels operating near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The alleged assault on the ships involved Iranian missiles fitted with electro-optical seekers — guidance systems that rely on cameras and light sensors to lock onto targets and improve precision — The Telegraph reported.
US Central Command acknowledged the attacks, while officials said both efforts were unsuccessful, including the strike on Jordan, where incoming Iranian missiles were intercepted.
The latest strikes were described as retaliation for earlier American attacks that destroyed five oil tankers near Iran’s key Kharg Island oil hub.
“In response to the US’s aggressive actions against Iranian oil tankers, armed forces, in accordance with their inherent right of legitimate defence, attacked US military bases and facilities located in Jordan, which continues to support US military attacks against Iran, as well as several US vessels,” it said.
Iran had teased the development of the new missile system late last year, dubbing it the Qassem Bassir, a medium-range ballistic missile outfitted with the sensors.
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The regime claimed at the time that the missile’s sensors allowed it to be highly precise while avoiding GPS altogether, making the missile harder to be taken down by jamming systems.
Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s newly installed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, suggested a new “special anti-destroyer” missile debuted in Wednesday’s strike, hailing it as part of his new approach in the country’s defense policy.
It was not immediately clear if the Qassem Bassir weapon was the new missile used to target the US ships in the overnight attack.
The IRGC also warned of imminent strikes on oil tankers and bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, calling on all crew to evacuate the ships immediately.
The surge in tit-for-tat strikes and coinciding strikes on tankers in the region have raised alarms over the safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz, which oversees 20% of the world’s oil transports.
The attacks, coupled with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels’ strike on Saudi oil facilities, caused the price of crude to shoot above $100 per barrel for the first time since July.
With Post wires