A spokesperson for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Mohebbi, stated on Monday, September 21, 2026, that the country would change its military tactics, weapons, and targets if its conflict with the United States escalates. Mohebbi said Iran is prepared for a long-term war and warned that the government would "change the geography of the war" by introducing new weapons with new capabilities. He added that previous targets would not necessarily remain the same, noting that Iran has identified targets that have not yet been struck.
The warning comes during a conflict that began on February 28, 2026, with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Since the start of hostilities, the Strait of Hormuz—a narrow waterway through which approximately 20 million barrels of oil, or one-fifth of the world's supply, typically pass daily in peacetime—has seen significantly reduced traffic. Negotiations to reopen the strait or revive talks regarding Iran’s nuclear program have not yet resulted in an agreement.
In a related maritime incident on Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that a tanker was struck by an "unknown projectile" while entering the Strait of Hormuz. Two crew members sustained minor injuries, though the vessel was able to continue toward its next port under its own power. No environmental damage was reported. Meanwhile, in Yemen, the World Health Organization reported that 164 people were killed and 516 injured between September 13 and September 18 as fighting continues between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed government forces.
Day-to-day life for approximately 129,438 displaced persons in seven Yemeni provinces involves fleeing combat zones, with 11,352 people forced from their homes in three days starting September 18. In Israel, the military remains on a heightened alert status during the 25-hour Yom Kippur holiday. Residents in the occupied West Bank experienced increased military presence following the killing of an Israeli settler on Sunday, September 20. International cultural and diplomatic exchanges have also slowed, evidenced by the postponement of Saudi Arabia's Red Sea International Film Festival to late 2027 and the closure of a French language center in Tehran.
Future developments include the summoning of Iran's ambassador by the French Foreign Ministry and ongoing mediation efforts by Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who visited Tehran on Monday. The Red Sea International Film Festival is now scheduled for late 2027, while humanitarian organizations continue to monitor casualty rates and displacement figures as frontline fighting persists in areas like Yemen’s Lahj province.