US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: The battle between the United States and Iran has played out through sanctions, naval blockades and attacks on energy infrastructure for months. But the latest confrontation has opened a new chapter, with Iran reportedly using a missile equipped with electro-optical guidance technology against US warships near the Strait of Hormuz.
The reported deployment came during a fresh wave of Iranian attacks on Wednesday, as Tehran responded to US strikes that destroyed five Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island. Iran also fired missiles at US forces in Jordan, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed attacks against vessels operating near the strategically important waterway. The US said the attacks on its forces were unsuccessful.
The development is significant because electro-optical guidance could give Iranian missiles another way to identify and track targets without depending entirely on satellite navigation. That could make the weapons more difficult to disrupt through electronic warfare, although the exact missile used in the latest attack has not been publicly confirmed.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: New Missile Technology Enters the Conflict
According to reports, Iranian forces attempted to use missiles fitted with electro-optical seekers against US naval assets near the Strait of Hormuz.
Unlike conventional systems that rely heavily on radar or GPS-based guidance, electro-optical systems can use cameras, infrared sensors or other light-based technology to identify a target. Janes reported that Iran’s Qasem Basir missile, unveiled in 2025, uses an electro-optical guidance system and was presented by Tehran as an upgrade designed to improve precision and resistance to electronic warfare.
However, officials have not confirmed that the Qasem Basir was the weapon fired at the US warships on Wednesday.
Iran’s newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, said Tehran had deployed a new “special anti-destroyer” missile against a US warship.
He described the move as part of a change in Iran’s military approach, saying Tehran was moving from “reactive deterrence” to “active deterrence”.
Rezaei said the missile test had “created a hell for the Americans, and they fled”, and claimed it showed that the US naval blockade could be challenged.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: US Says Iranian Missile Attacks Failed
The latest Iranian offensive targeted American forces on multiple fronts.
The IRGC launched attacks overnight against US forces in Jordan and vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command confirmed the attacks but said the attempts against American naval assets failed. Iranian missiles fired toward a US base in Jordan were also intercepted.
The latest confrontation followed a series of clashes between American and Iranian forces around the Gulf.
Earlier, US forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after Iranian forces attempted to strike a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles. CENTCOM said the American vessel successfully evaded the attacks and that no US personnel were injured.
The US described the tanker strikes as retaliation for Iran’s attempts to attack American naval forces.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had already warned Tehran that Washington would respond to further attacks on US warships.
“Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers, and I think you’ll see that again today,” he told reporters during a visit to Colombia.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Why the Strait of Hormuz Is at the Centre of the Conflict
The latest attacks are particularly concerning because they occurred around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and carries a major share of global oil shipments. Reuters reported that the latest fighting has already raised fears about the safety of commercial shipping and pushed Brent crude above $100 a barrel.
Iran has repeatedly used its position around the strait as leverage against the United States and its allies. The latest confrontation has added another layer of uncertainty for oil companies, tanker operators and governments dependent on Gulf energy supplies.
Iran has also warned of further attacks against oil tankers and military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, increasing concerns that the conflict could spread beyond the immediate US-Iran confrontation.
The IRGC has called on crews aboard certain vessels to evacuate, while maritime authorities and shipping companies face growing pressure to assess the risks of sailing through the region.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Did Russia or China Help Iran Improve Its Missile Targeting?
The emergence of a more sophisticated missile guidance system has also raised questions about the source of Iran’s targeting capabilities.
Analysts cited in recent reporting have suggested that Iran may not have developed every component of the new system from scratch. Some experts believe Tehran could have combined technology from existing Iranian missile families with newer solid-fuel and guidance technologies.
The possibility of outside assistance has also attracted attention.
Earlier intelligence reporting cited by The Telegraph alleged that Chinese and Russian satellites had supplied imagery that could help Iran monitor US military positions. Washington later imposed sanctions on China-based entities over alleged satellite imagery assistance to Iran.
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back on claims that another country was providing Iran with assistance that had fundamentally changed the military situation.
“We don’t believe anybody is giving Iran anything that’s changing the dynamics or the parameters of what we’re seeing. At the end of the day is they continue to fire at our naval ships, and when they fire at our naval ships, they pay a price in tankers. They lose a lot of tankers.”
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: US-Iran Conflict Raises Risk for Global Oil Markets
The latest exchange has turned the Strait of Hormuz into an even bigger pressure point in the US-Iran conflict.
Iran’s missile attacks, US strikes on Iranian oil tankers and threats against additional vessels have created a cycle of retaliation that could become increasingly difficult to contain. Reuters described the Gulf as entering a period of heightened uncertainty as military escalation begins to affect commercial and economic decisions.
The consequences are already visible in energy markets. Oil prices moved above $100 a barrel amid concerns that further attacks could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
For Washington, the priority remains protecting US naval forces and keeping pressure on Tehran. For Iran, attacks on American vessels offer a way to challenge the US blockade and demonstrate that its military still has the ability to threaten American forces.
The failed missile attacks therefore carry significance beyond the immediate damage. They have highlighted Iran’s attempt to improve its ability to track naval targets while showing how quickly the conflict can move from attacks on military forces to threats against the global energy supply chain.
