Khomeyn

A missile strike attributed to the United States has reportedly hit an educational institution in the Iranian city of Khomeyn, according to a report by Al Jazeera citing Iran’s Mehr News Agency.

The target was identified as the Dr Hafez Khomeyni School. Local reports said the explosion caused heavy damage to nearby residential buildings, though there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The incident comes amid increasing international calls for an investigation into a previous missile strike on a girls’ school in Minab in southern Iran, where at least 170 people—most of them students—were reportedly killed.

Conflict escalates

The reported strike in Khomeyn comes as tensions continue to rise in West Asia, with Tehran issuing a strong response to statements by Donald Trump about the course of the conflict.

In a statement, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it would decide when military operations against the United States and Israel would end.

“It is we who will determine the end of the war,” the IRGC said, asserting that the region’s future would be shaped by Iran’s military strategy rather than decisions taken in Washington.

The IRGC also accused the US leadership of attempting to influence public opinion after what it described as setbacks in the conflict.

Claims of military escalation

The Iranian military body alleged that US naval forces had moved more than 1,000 kilometres away from the region to avoid Iranian missile strikes, including attacks targeting the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.

It further rejected reports suggesting that Iran’s missile capabilities had been weakened, claiming that the country’s weapons were now more powerful than at the start of the conflict, with some warheads weighing over a tonne.

Strait of Hormuz tensions

The IRGC warned it would not allow oil exports from the region to hostile nations, raising concerns over energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.

Responding on social media platform X, Trump warned that any Iranian attempt to disrupt oil shipments through the waterway would trigger a severe military response from the United States.

He said Washington could target “easily destroyable” sites in Iran if the flow of oil through the strategic channel was obstructed.

Leadership change and diplomatic efforts

The developments come shortly after Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as Iran’s new Supreme Leader following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin reportedly held a phone conversation with Trump on Monday to discuss possible diplomatic steps toward ending the conflict.

According to the Kremlin, the Russian leader proposed ideas for a quick political settlement after consultations with regional leaders and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

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Separately, Emmanuel Macron said France and its allies were preparing a “purely defensive” mission to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ensure safe maritime navigation, noting that nearly 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil passes through the waterway.