Iran ramps up threats against US, removes cap on ballistic missile range

Iran on Saturday said it has lifted restrictions on the range of its missiles and will demonstrate its ability to strike adversaries at unexpected locations, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday, amid renewed military activity involving the United States in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had previously restricted its missiles to a 2000-kilometre range.

IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi said Tehran was prepared to respond to threats without geographical limitations and would rely on asymmetric warfare to catch its adversaries off guard. "The restriction has been lifted for us. However, we must demonstrate these capabilities in practice, and we should not merely make statements beforehand. Our duty is to demonstrate our capabilities on the battlefield," Mohebbi said, according to Iran's ISNA news agency. He was speaking on the sidelines of a press conference marking the IRGC Aerospace Week in Tehran.

"Our warfare is asymmetric, and we can strike the enemy at a location it would never anticipate, thereby bringing it to a standstill. Rest assured that we possess such capabilities," he added.

Trump claims limited strikes

The remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump said American forces had carried out fresh, limited strikes on Iran, targeting an air defence system. Describing the operation as “minor”, Trump said the US military had destroyed an Iranian anti-aircraft installation shortly after it was built. “They knocked out -- they built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five,” Trump told reporters after arriving in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday evening, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Iranian state media reported hearing two explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, located in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments. Responding to a question about the explosions and other incidents reported in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday night, Mohebbi said Iranian forces had carried out firing exercises, with most of the explosions resulting from air defence activity. "We carried out some firing, and most of the explosions were related to air defense fire. No other incidents followed. An American aircraft was also hit during the firing," he said, according to ISNA. The IRGC spokesperson did not provide further details about the American aircraft or the circumstances in which it was hit.

Trump did not disclose further details about the target of Friday's US strikes. US officials have previously assessed that most of Iran's air defence systems were destroyed or severely weakened during Israeli bombardments in June 2025 and the initial stages of the current conflict. They have also said Tehran would seek to rebuild its air defences and other military infrastructure. The US military also reported carrying out what it described as defensive strikes on Monday. Explosions were reported on Qeshm and Hengam islands in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in the nearby mainland area of Bandar Abbas.