Middle East conflict: US destroys Iranian-linked dhow as Tehran shifts tactics near Hormuz

Iran must be prepared for war even as it negotiates with the U.S., the country's parliament speaker said Wednesday.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said in a televised speech that his country's main concern is preventing the United States from attacking again. But, he added, a signed agreement with Washington is no guarantee.

"They break their promises," said Qalibaf. As a result, Iran must be prepared to fight "against a bullying enemy," and "we must truly fight courageously on the battlefield."

"That is when we will have achieved sustainable deterrence," he said. "America must be punished. America must change its behavior. It must understand that it has to come to terms with the Iranian people.

Iran's IRGC has shifted tactics by using "unarmed spotters", Reuters reported. A US military official, speaking anonymously, told the news agency agency that after the US destroyed much of Iran’s radar capability, the IRGC began using unarmed spotters in small boats to identify and track potential targets, including US naval vessels, in and around Hormuz.

The official described a previously unreported incident last week in which Iranian spotters on a dhow were "calling in" targets to the IRGC. US forces told the occupants to abandon the dhow, a traditional wooden sailing vessel, and then destroyed it. Maritime security analysis of attacks reported to UKMTO suggests Iran may already be targeting ships beyond the Strait itself.

Two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Iran is using new tactics to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections. They said the change involves both the type and the pace of attacks.

Iran’s own rhetoric matches this: Mohsen Rezaei, a powerful figure in the Tehran regime, told state TV that Iran targets five or six vessels every night and that Hormuz is under Iranian control. The "shuttle system" involving ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil outside Hormuz Strait is described as an explicit Iranian target.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels are attempting to build a new advanced medium-range ballistic missile system with the help of Chinese parts, according to a new report released Wednesday by a group that tracks the use of weapons in conflict zones.

The report by the UK-based Conflict Armament Research group came as the Houthis, in their ongoing war with Saudi Arabia, are demonstrating remarkable ability to wreak havoc on one of the Middle East’s best equipped militaries.

The weaponry under development could help the group more precisely target the Saudis and Israel. By turning to China, it also appears to be a sign of increasing independence.