On the 12th day of the war, Iran launched massive missile barrages against US bases and Israeli targets, while the US destroyed Iranian minelayers in the Strait of Hormuz to secure global oil routes.
On the twelfth day of the war between the US, Israel, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the conflict has engulfed the broader Middle East. According to ار.اف.ای / RFI فارسی, the war has seen mutual strikes stretching from Tehran to Doha. The IRGC-affiliated کانال اخبار سپاه پاسداران 🏴 and state-run خبرگزاری ایرنا reported that Iran launched waves 37 and 38 of Operation True Promise 4, unleashing a three-hour barrage of heavy Khorramshahr missiles and drones targeting the terrorist American army and Zionist regime across the region. According to IRGC statements published by آخرین خبر, targets included the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, bases in Kuwait, Erbil, Saudi Arabia, and military centers in Tel Aviv and Haifa.
The regional spillover has triggered a massive energy crisis. After the IRGC targeted two commercial vessels—the Liberian-flagged Express Room and Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree—in the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian military official told Al Mayadeen via a post by کانال اخبار سپاه پاسداران 🏴 that not a single liter of oil will be allowed to pass to hostile parties. In response, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced American forces are targeting and destroying Iranian minelayer vessels, with Donald Trump warning of unprecedented military consequences, according to the opposition network Iran International ایران اینترنشنال. To stabilize soaring Brent crude prices, the International Energy Agency is proposing a historic release of 400 million barrels of strategic reserves, reported by Wall Street Journal via خبرفوری ࡆ اخبارفوری مذاکره ࡆ جنگ فوری.
Inside Iran, US and Israeli forces heavily bombarded military and infrastructure targets. Opposition channels like Vahid Online وحید آنلاین and Iran International reported widespread explosions in Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, and Bushehr, noting that IRGC suppressive forces have begun hiding in civilian schools, mosques, and sports halls to evade strikes. An overnight strike in Tehran targeted an IT building belonging to Bank Sepah, which the opposition channel شبنامه noted is used to pay the salaries of the regime's suppressive forces. State media claimed the strike killed bank employees preparing holiday payrolls.
Despite the escalating violence, US President Donald Trump told Axios that the war will end soon because there is almost nothing left to target in Iran, according to Vahid Online. However, Axios reporter Barak Ravid noted that US and Israeli military officials have not issued a halt order and are planning for at least two more weeks of operations. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have reportedly rejected two ceasefire messages from Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, demanding guarantees against future attacks, as reported by the pro-government حامیان پزشکیان. Massive funerals were held in Tehran for IRGC and army commanders killed in the Ramadan War, with regime officials vowing to fight until the shadow of war is lifted from the country.
The source material features highly polarized coverage. State-run and IRGC-affiliated channels (like IRNA and Akharin Khabar) utilize heavily loaded terminology, framing the conflict as a righteous defense against the 'terrorist American army' and the 'Zionist regime'. Conversely, opposition channels (like Iran International and Shabnameh) emphasize the regime's use of civilian infrastructure as human shields and frame the targeted institutions as part of the state's 'suppressive forces'. The English translation faithfully integrates these biased terms directly into the prose without sanitization or distancing quotes, as per the strict guidelines.