WASHINGTON — Iran state media on Monday said a ballistic missile with improved capabilities was demonstrating a new doctrine: Tehran “will take action against any threat, even before it is carried out.”

The report by Iran’s state news agency repeatedly cited comments aired on state TV the day before by the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, who boasted of new missile capability and claimed it had been “tested” against a US warship. But it was not clear whether what was tested was the missile the new report described, the solid-fueled Qassem Basir.

The US on Saturday said ballistic missiles were launched at US warships and that it struck three Iranian oil tankers in response. Experts called the launch a dangerous escalation, noting that until then Iran’s attacks at sea had targeted commercial shipping during six months of war. The US said the warships evaded the attacks.

Iran’s messaging in recent days has become more assertive, and Monday’s report said the Qassem Basir marks “a turning point in Iran’s defense strategy.” It described the missile as having greater range and accuracy and a half-ton warhead. The missile was unveiled last year, when it was described as having at least a 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) range.

Concerns about Iran’s ballistic missile program were one of the stated reasons the US and Israel attacked Iran early this year, sparking the war. Washington and Jerusalem also sought to create the conditions to topple the regime, and distance the threat posed by its nuclear program.

IAEA head Rafael Grossi on Monday said giving the UN nuclear agency access to key nuclear facilities in Iran would be beneficial for the Islamic Republic, as a draft resolution proposed referring Tehran to the UN Security Council.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not had access to key nuclear facilities in Iran since Israel, joined by the United States, launched a 12-day conflict in June 2025 that included strikes on nuclear sites.

Nuclear facilities have also been hit in the latest war, and the IAEA has repeatedly urged access.

“The best, shortest way for a positive outcome is for Iran to engage with us,” Grossi told a press conference after opening the quarterly meeting of the IAEA board of governors.

A resolution drafted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany expected to be submitted and voted on this week seeks to refer Iran to the UN........

© The Times of Israel