Iran’s armed forces carried out a missile launch operation from the southern region of the country toward unspecified targets, the semi-official Fars news agency reported early Thursday, adding that the destination of the missiles was not yet clear.
The report came amid Iranian media claims of a further escalation near the Strait of Hormuz. Some Iranian outlets said Iranian forces had attacked American vessels crossing the strait, while another report said the navy fired warning shots toward four vessels near the strategic waterway.
“The navy fired warning shots at four vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. These vessels tried to pass through the strait without coordination,” one Iranian channel reported.
Fars later said the target of the Iranian action remained unclear.
“A few minutes ago, Iran’s armed forces launched a missile operation from the southern region of the country toward targets,” the agency reported. “The exact destination of these missiles is still unknown, but some sources are reporting the possibility of a confrontation in the waters of the Persian Gulf.”
The agency added that some media outlets had reported explosions in the provinces of Bushehr and Hormozgan, but said its own field checks had so far ruled out the possibility of explosions in those areas.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the reports, and it was not immediately clear whether the missile launch was connected to the reported naval activity near the Strait of Hormuz.