Iran said an LNG tanker hit a mine in the Strait of Hormuz, and its Guards said they targeted a US radar in Bahrain, in the latest incidents in a waterway that has become the centre of the crisis. The claims add two new incidents to a list that already includes two oil tankers disabled by explosions, and a strike claimed on navigation systems on an Omani island.
Why it matters
The radar claim widens the geography of the confrontation. Until now the crisis has centred on the Gulf, where the tankers were hit and the shipping has nearly stopped. A strike claimed on a radar in Bahrain, and a warning that Tehran would hit American bases beyond the Gulf, including in Europe, would put American forces across a much wider area on alert.
The warning from Tehran came from its top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, who said Iran would strike American bases beyond the Gulf if United States air strikes resume. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly moved to a military base after the threats, and Israel security cabinet has reportedly ordered stepped up attack preparations.
What happens next
President Trump addressed the war during a Veterans Day address, saying it will end when we want to end it, and he has since said the United States does not need a deal with Iran. The remark signals direct American control over the timeline, but it does not answer the question of what happens if Iran carries out its threat or if another tanker is hit.
For now, the two sides are talking past each other. The Abu Dhabi talks produced a prisoner exchange but no ceasefire, and the envoys have moved on to Moscow. Until the strikes in the strait stop, the warnings will keep coming and the risk of a wider war will keep growing.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly moved to a military base after the Iranian threats, a sign of how seriously Washington is taking the warning. The move, together with the Israeli preparations, shows that both governments are positioning for the possibility that the confrontation widens.
