'Habibi, Come To Iran': Tehran Taunts 'Uncle Sam' With Strait Of Hormuz Video Amid Escalating US-Iran Conflict

The Iranian embassy in Sierra Leone has sparked a conversation online after posting a provocative message on Thursday, challenging "Uncle Sam", a personification of the United States, to visit Iran.

"Habibi (Uncle Sam), come to Iran!", the post says.

The message accompanies a 35-second animated clip showing a 3D representation of the Strait of Hormuz, with a game of Minesweeper being played across the map.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated this week following a US strike on Iranian rocket launchers located on an island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. The US said the launchers were intended to fire mines into the strategically important waterway.

The strike came just days after the US completed the removal of sea mines from international shipping lanes in the strait. US President Donald Trump had warned Iran that any ship or boat attempting to lay fresh mines in the waterway would be destroyed.

Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles at two US military installations in Jordan, reportedly causing "heavy damage". Jordan's army, however, said it had intercepted eight missiles.

The latest escalation marked the second US attack on Iranian military positions this month. Iran subsequently carried out retaliatory strikes across the region, despite a warning issued by Trump.

"If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!" he wrote on social media.

The US Central Command said its forces targeted IRGC "air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine laying capabilities, and communications sites".

Iranian state media, meanwhile, alleged that a wedding had been hit in one of the US strikes.

"We're aware of the reports, which originated from Iranian state media. The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC," said Timothy Hawkins, the Central Command spokesperson.

The conflict between the US and Iran has now entered its seventh month, with Trump's stated primary objective remaining the prevention of Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.