Iran's supreme leader orders maximum response to any attack

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei told the top commanders of the armed forces that a renewed American or Israeli attack must be met with an immediate and effective response, without geographical limitations, to achieve maximum deterrence. The statement, from his office, said he had ordered the military target bank updated so that American and Israeli assets are within reach, and that Iran would determine the timing and conditions for ending any renewed attack. Axios reported the meeting was the first publicly disclosed session between Khamenei and all the top commanders since the war began; he has not been seen or heard in public since he was wounded in a strike on the war’s first day.

The statement is a rhetorical escalation, not an operational announcement, and no new attack or Iranian action was reported alongside it. It lands while Brent crude approaches 118 dollars on risk around the Strait of Hormuz, where a tanker was hit by limpet mines on Thursday, and while Qatari officials are in Tehran seeking to revive a ceasefire track with Washington.