TEHRAN – The conflict, which began with a devastating US-Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iran on February 28, has entered a new and dangerous phase. Today, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it has carried out the 98th wave of its retaliation, codenamed Operation True Promise 4. This is not merely a series of tit-for-tat strikes but a calculated, multi-front campaign of attrition aimed at crippling US and Israeli military, economic, and industrial power across the Middle East, all while holding the world’s energy supply hostage at the Strait of Hormuz.

Key Developments At A Glance:

The Great Media Blackout: When Censorship Fails.

One of the most significant developments in this conflict is the ongoing battle over information. Israel has imposed a strict military censorship regime, preventing local media from reporting on the impact of strikes. Hedi Negev, the Director General of the Movement for Freedom of Information in Israel, revealed the staggering scale of this operation: during 2024 alone, the military censor prevented the publication of 1,635 news items and prohibited parts of another 6,265.

However, the digital battlefield is proving impossible to fully control. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts have identified over 25 verified video clips showing direct impacts, effectively bypassing the official blackout. Al Jazeera’s “Open Sources” unit reported that “surveillance cameras and open sources have managed to document the moments when Iranian and Hezbollah missiles penetrated air defences,” forcing official Israeli media to ignore nearly half of the attack scenes as they lacked censorship approval. Footage has emerged showing a direct hit on a building in Ramat Gan, east of Tel Aviv, and the recovery of bodies from a collapsed residential building in Haifa.

The Naval Front: Hunting The USS Tripoli And Blockading The Gulf.

In the most audacious claim of Wave 98, the IRGC asserts it successfully targeted and forced the retreat of the USS Tripoli (LHA-7), a massive American amphibious assault ship carrying over 5,000 sailors and Marines. The Pentagon has not confirmed the strike, but independent analyst groups have noted the ship’s unexpected repositioning. The IRGC’s naval focus extends far beyond a single vessel. The attack on the Israeli-linked container ship SDN7 is part of a broader campaign to disrupt enemy supply lines.

Simultaneously, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas tankers affiliated with the “aggressors”. Global oil prices have surged, with over 150 tankers initially stranded and the strait remaining “almost empty” of commercial traffic.

Beyond The Strait: A Regional War On Multiple Fronts

Wave 98 was not a single attack but a coordinated series of strikes across multiple countries. The IRGC specifically targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, striking several military aircraft, and claimed another attack on Camp Buehring, a major US Army staging post in the country’s northwest. The strike on the joint UAE-Israeli drone production facility is a direct hit on the military-industrial partnership that has been a cornerstone of Israeli strategy in the region.

The Human Toll: Casualties Confirmed

While military claims are often contested, the human cost is becoming undeniable. In Haifa, an Iranian ballistic missile directly struck a multi-story residential building, causing its collapse. Israeli rescue teams have confirmed the recovery of four bodies from the rubble. In the Tel Aviv area, at least 27 locations were hit by cluster munition fragments, with one person reported moderately wounded in Ramat Gan.

A Conflict Without End?

This is not a war of decisive battles but of slow, grinding attrition. Iran’s strategy appears focused on imposing unsustainable economic and military costs on its adversaries. By blockading the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has weaponised global energy supplies. By launching near-daily waves of attacks, it is testing the limits of Israeli and American air defences. As long as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and the missile barrages continue, the world can only watch as this conflict moves inexorably toward its next, potentially more devastating, chapter.

Source: Multiple News Agencies