On Thursday, August 21, 2025, Iran staged its first independent military exercise since the bruising 12-day war with Israel in June, seeking to project strength after suffering significant losses. According to Iranian state television, the drill, named "Resilient Strength 1404" (also referred to as "Sustainable Power 1404"), saw naval units from Iran’s regular armed forces fire cruise missiles and deploy drones at open-air targets in the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean. The exercise, which unfolded about a month after joint Iran-Russia maneuvers in the Caspian Sea, was intended as a signal to friends and foes alike that Iran remains a force to be reckoned with—despite the heavy blows it sustained earlier this summer.
During the June conflict, Israel launched a sustained air campaign against Iran, targeting key nuclear facilities and eliminating several high-ranking military commanders and scientists. Iranian air defenses were largely dismantled, and most of its ballistic missile arsenal was severely damaged, as reported by state media and corroborated by international outlets. In the aftermath, Iran has doubled down on its readiness to respond to any future aggression. The Defense Ministry’s recent statement left little doubt: "Every new adventure of the enemy will be dealt with strongly." Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s Defense Minister, reinforced this message, telling the state-run IRNA news agency, "In response to any potential enemy adventurism, our forces are prepared to use these new missiles effectively."
Iran’s navy, which numbers roughly 18,000 personnel and is headquartered in the bustling port city of Bandar Abbas, avoided major losses during the war. Its area of operations covers the Gulf of Oman, the Indian Ocean, and the Caspian Sea. The more unpredictable Revolutionary Guard naval forces, meanwhile, continue to dominate the Arabian Gulf and the critical Strait of Hormuz. These waters have long been a flashpoint, with the Guard known for seizing Western vessels and shadowing U.S. Navy ships—tactics that have escalated since the unraveling of the 2015 nuclear deal.
The recent military exercise comes at a time of heightened diplomatic tension. Tehran suspended negotiations with Washington aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions following the joint Israeli and U.S. airstrikes. While Iran steadfastly denies any intention to build an atomic bomb, it has also suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), even as its uranium enrichment edges ever closer to weapons-grade levels. European signatories to the nuclear deal—France, Germany, and the United Kingdom—have warned that if Iran does not resolve its dispute with the IAEA by the end of August, they will trigger a “snapback” reimposition of United Nations sanctions. Analysts caution that renewed UN sanctions could further cripple Iran’s already ailing economy, which has been battered by American measures since 2018.
Against this backdrop of military posturing and diplomatic brinkmanship, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues to deepen. The United Nations declared a famine in Gaza on Friday, August 22, 2025, blaming the "systematic obstruction" of aid by Israel during more than 22 months of war. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), famine is now affecting around 500,000 people in the Gaza governorate, with projections that it will spread to Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September—threatening two-thirds of the territory.
Doctors in Gaza are reporting harrowing scenes. Texas-based surgeon Mohammed Adeel Khaleel, volunteering at a Gaza City hospital, described patients with "exposed ribs, severely skinny extremities," and post-operative complications exacerbated by starvation. "The level of hunger is really what’s heartbreaking," Khaleel told the Associated Press. "We saw malnutrition before, back in November, already starting to happen. But now the level is just, it’s beyond imagination."
At Al-Ahli Hospital, a 17-year-old gunshot victim arrived so emaciated that his ribs protruded from his torso. Nutrition director Dr. Mohammad Kuheil pointed out a 15-year-old girl, Aya Sbeteh, whose recovery from an airstrike wound was hampered by severe malnutrition. "All we have are grains like lentils, sometimes," her father lamented. "Even flour is unaffordable." Another patient, Karam Akoumeh, lost nearly half his body weight due to both injury and the lack of intravenous nutritional supplements. "I checked throughout all Gaza’s hospitals for it, but I have not found any," said his father, Atef.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) chief Philippe Lazzarini publicly urged Israel to "stop denying the famine it has created in Gaza" and called on all international actors to apply pressure for a resolution. Israel, for its part, has rejected the famine declaration as an "outright lie," maintaining that it has eased restrictions and allowed more aid into Gaza, while blaming Hamas for diverting supplies—a claim the UN disputes.
Meanwhile, the political landscape in Israel is shifting under the weight of the ongoing conflict. Former defense minister Benny Gantz has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a unity government with opposition leaders, sidestepping far-right coalition members in hopes of securing a deal to release the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Gantz’s televised plea—"I am here on behalf of the hostages who have no voice. I am here for the soldiers who are crying out, and whom no one in this government is listening to"—underscored the growing domestic pressure for a negotiated end to the war. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, representing the far-right, quickly dismissed the idea, insisting that voters had chosen a policy of "absolute victory" over compromise.
Inside Gaza, the devastation is relentless. Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for the territory’s civil defense agency, described the "complete leveling of entire residential blocks" in neighborhoods like Sabra and Zeitoun. Displaced residents, like Ahmad Jundiyeh, voiced their despair: "We are trapped here, living in fear, with nowhere to go. There’s no safety anywhere in Gaza. Movement now leads to death."
The international community remains divided on how to respond. While the UK, France, and Canada have condemned Israel’s actions as "wholly disproportionate," the British government’s continued arms exports to Israel have drawn criticism from rights groups. At the same time, the UK has cracked down on domestic dissent, arresting hundreds—including elderly protesters—for supporting the now-banned activist group Palestine Action, which targets arms companies supplying Israel. Human rights advocates argue that such measures are a betrayal of free speech and democratic values.
As Iran flexes its military muscles and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, the region teeters on a knife’s edge. The interplay of military posturing, political maneuvering, and human suffering leaves little room for optimism—but the world continues to watch, hoping for a breakthrough that remains elusive.
