In what can only be described as a catastrophic escalation of the war in the Middle East, the New York Post reported that Iranian electro-optical guided missiles were fired at US military sites based in the region.
The report describes how the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched "waves of strikes" against US military sites in Jordan and against US Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian missiles were intercepted before they reached their targets, the US Central Command confirmed.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper indicated that the attack used electro-optical guidance systems - equipped with sensors and cameras to detect and destroy targets with extreme precision.
The new escalation is believed to be a response to the US strikes on five oil tankers off the coast of the strategically important oil terminal on Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials issued the following statement: "In response to the US's aggressive actions against Iranian oil tankers, the armed forces - in accordance with their inalienable right of legitimate self-defense - attacked US military bases and facilities in Jordan (which continues to support US military strikes against Iran), as well as several American vessels.
Tehran has made bold claims about the high-tech features of its new Qassem Bassir missile system, claiming that it is invisible to GPS systems and almost impossible to jam using traditional methods.
With a range of 1,200 kilometers and a warhead weighing 500 kilograms, these missiles pose a threat not only to warships operating in the region, but also to populated areas.
Among the major cities that fall within the missiles' range are Tel Aviv, Riyadh, Doha, and Kuwait City; The vital shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz are also at risk, as is the Suez Canal, through which up to 15 percent of all seaborne cargo passes.
Despite Iranian rhetoric, US forces have yet to officially confirm that the missiles fired in this latest attack were indeed the "Qassem Basir" model.
According to military analysts, the fact that the missiles were successfully intercepted (according to US military data) means that these claims should be approached with some caution. The new secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, described the new missile as a "special anti-destroyer weapon" that will be a key element of Iran's defense strategy against the US.