Iranian troops gear up for a return to war as Straits crisis deepens

Iranian troops gear up for a return to war as Straits crisis deepensChilling signs all-out war could return to the Gulf region as Iranian troops have been spotted digging out hidden rocket and missile launchers from underground chambers in case talks failNewsChris Hughes Defence and Security Editor12:33, 15 Apr 2026Updated 12:47, 15 Apr 2026View 5 ImagesHormuz blockade: US Presidend Donald Trump(Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)Iranian forces are using the temporary halt in fighting to re-arm with hidden missile launchers buried by US - Israeli air-strikes. They have been detected digging out the firing mechanisms from underground storage depots as the Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens. Satellite footage has been analysed showing mechanical diggers working on freeing up deadly launchers from previously attacked sites.‌It comes after the US imposed a naval blockade on the maritime chokepoint in a bid to punish Iran for first blocking the waterway. Sources suggest Iran is using a temporary truce signed on April 8, which expires on the 22nd, to move missile assets from east to west. One of the buried sites is at Khomein, birthplace of the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei. His successor Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in the opening days of the war in an Israeli air-strike on his Tehran compound.‌View 5 ImagesThe Strait of Hormuz crisis has deepened(Image: @IraninHyderabad/X)‌READ MORE: Britain's 120,000-drone deal with Ukraine boosts Volodymyr Zelensky's fightREAD MORE: China defies Trump and sails tanker through Strait of Hormuz blockade in show of forceIt is also believed the US re-configuring and arming up its armada based in the Gulf region both to impose the blockade and re-start the conflict if needed. The US military has insisted it has “completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea, as its blockade enters a second day.Lebanon and Israel have had their first talks in three decades amid a growing humanitarian...