Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has called on Muslim countries to unite against what he described as their "real enemy," the United States and Israel. In a statement reported by the official IRNA news agency, Khamenei urged the leaders of Muslim nations to "know your real enemy, understand its plans and confront it," identifying the U.S. and Israel as adversaries to all Islamic peoples.
The remarks come amid heightened regional tensions and follow U.S. military actions in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces announced Sunday they had struck Iranian rocket launchers in the strategic waterway, marking their first military action in a month. Iran subsequently claimed to have launched missiles at U.S. sites in Jordan, asserting it was retaliation for the American strikes.
Jordan's armed forces reported intercepting eight missiles that entered the country's airspace early Monday. U.S. military officials described their strikes as a "limited, precise action" against Iranian minelaying forces, disputing Iran's characterization of the action as aggression. Semiofficial Iranian news outlets reported explosions near Larak island, with Iran's state broadcaster noting casualties among Iranian fighters and civilians.
The latest exchange follows a period of relative calm. The last confirmed U.S. military strike targeting Iran was on July 29, when U.S. forces announced extensive strikes on dozens of Revolutionary Guard targets.
Broader Regional Developments
In a separate development, Israel's Shin Bet security agency confirmed the urgent evacuation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's oldest son, Yair Netanyahu, from the United States due to a threat. The agency cited a "significant threat" but provided no further details. Prime Minister Netanyahu had previously stated that Iran had attempted to harm one of his sons.
A British military monitoring agency reported that an unidentified projectile struck a tanker ship north of Khasab, Oman, in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. No casualties or environmental damage were reported.
In the West Bank, an NBC News crew and a Palestinian woman were reportedly injured when settlers attacked them while they were interviewing the woman about being displaced from her home. NBC shared footage depicting masked individuals approaching the crew with sticks and damaging their vehicles. Israel's military acknowledged awareness of reports of Palestinian injuries but did not comment on the attack on the news crew.
Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a rare condemnation of settler violence in the West Bank on Saturday, a move that comes amid criticism from the U.S. regarding such attacks. Netanyahu described violent settlers as a "small handful of people" whose actions "harms the settlement project" and "slanders us in the world."
Israeli settlers also reportedly detained a British activist in a Palestinian village and handed him over to the police. The activist's lawyer denied allegations that he had assaulted a child, stating that video evidence showed him attempting to protect the village. The activist was reportedly moved for deportation.
In Gaza, an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah killed a 3-year-old and a man whom the Israeli military identified as a Hamas operative. The military stated the individual posed an "immediate threat." Gaza's Health Ministry reported that at least 1,318 Palestinians have been killed since a ceasefire attempt in October.
Meanwhile, Turkey is set to host senior officials from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Monday for discussions following a recent defense agreement between the three Muslim-majority nations. Pakistan's army chief arrived in Turkey on Sunday for related meetings.