TEHRAN: An adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has told the US to retreat from the naval area in the Gulf of Oman or else prepare for deadly action as a result of drone attacks in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Israel puts its military on red alert, and the price of oil jumps to an almost two-week high.
“I advise you to retreat from the Gulf of Oman before it becomes a burial ground for your warships,” Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei said in a statement aired on Iranian state television.” He added that Iran considers a naval blockade an act of war and retaining the right to respond remains non-negotiable.
Rezaei dismissed any suggestion that Iran’s restraint reflected acceptance of US pressure. America comes here and brings its warships. Who is its enemy? At one time, they said they came to confront the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union no longer exists,” he said.
Rezaei drew a distinction between commercial and military traffic. The Strait of Hormuz, he said, stays open for trade but closes for military buildups and any attempts to destabilise regional security.
The Backstory:
Israel on High Alert, Prepares to Join US Strikes
Israeli public broadcaster Kan cited an unnamed security official Sunday saying Israel would join any new US strikes on Iran and target Iranian energy infrastructure directly. Channel 12 reported that Trump and Netanyahu spoke for more than 30 minutes on Sunday, with their conversation taking place in the broadcaster’s words “in the shadow of preparations for renewed fighting in Iran.” The Israeli military is now on high alert. Israel expects advance notification from Washington before any strike, though the timing of a potential decision remains unknown.
Channel 12 also noted that Trump faces significant pressure from China to pursue a negotiated settlement rather than a new military confrontation.
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Israeli Channel 13, citing Al Jazeera, separately reported that dozens of US cargo planes carrying ammunition from bases in Germany landed in Tel Aviv within the past 24 hours part of what the broadcaster described as preparations to resume the war on Iran.
Israel Built Two Secret Military Bases Inside Iraq
A Sunday New York Times report, citing Iraqi and regional officials, revealed that Israel constructed two covert military facilities in Iraq’s western desert to support operations against Iran. The sites served as air support, refuelling, and medical services hubs and reportedly played a role during the 12-day war against Iran in June 2025.
One site came to light after Iraqi shepherd Awad al-Shammari spotted unusual military activity near al-Nukhaib in March, helicopters, tents, and a makeshift landing strip. He alerted local authorities.
He was soon missing and found dead by the authorities. Iraq soldiers sent to investigate the area were fired upon, with one soldier killed and two others injured. Baghdad is not going to permit its territory to be used as a launching ground or passageway for attacks on other nations, the Iraqi military spokesman Sabah al-Numan said on Sunday. Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has pledged to place all weapons under state control as part of a broader security reform programme
Last week’s Trump-Xi call ended without any Chinese commitment to help resolve the conflict — a significant signal for markets that price in Beijing’s influence over Tehran.
“The longer the conflict with Iran persists, the greater the risk of protracted oil price scarring, which could keep interest rates higher for longer,” Prestige Economics analyst Jason Schenker warned. He added that persistent downside risks to global growth would follow.
The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20% of global oil trade. Every drone strike, every naval escalation, and every breakdown in ceasefire talks moves energy markets immediately and the weekend brought all three simultaneously.
