The Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed to normal shipping despite US President Donald Trump's claim that it was open to all maritime traffic.

Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei's emphasis on retribution for the martyred Leader and thousands of other martyrs signals a carefully calibrated doctrinal shift, intertwining religious obligation, strategic deterrence, and national unity in pursuit of justice against American-Israeli perpetrators through judicial, diplomatic, and public avenues.

Persian Gulf region, long perched on the brink of confrontation, is once again sliding toward dangerous escalation after fresh acts of US military aggression against Iran, which have all but collapsed the fragile MoU and prompted Tehran to launch a decisive response against US military assets across the region.

Iran has warned that it will close the Strait of Hormuz and strike twice as many targets in response to any fresh attack, following recent US strikes on Iranian coastal areas, a source told Press TV on Wednesday.

A retired Pakistani general says Iran's defiance against US-Israeli strikes shattered myths of Western military invincibility and fast-tracked a new Global South-led world order.

US-Israeli war goal of Iran’s "unconditional surrender" backfired spectacularly, as Iran emerged as West Asia's undisputed regional superpower, with the MoU formally recognizing its indispensable role in regional security, the Axis of Resistance's strategic reality, and the definitive end of American unilateralism.

From the World Cup pitch to the strategic waters of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's unwavering resistance and rules-based approach in the face of US bullying demonstrate that coercion can never compel the nation to yield, retreat, or surrender its sovereign rights.