Iran has warned that its armed forces are prepared to target United States warships as President Donald Trump considers renewed military attacks or continued pressure on Tehran amid escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Iranian military officials have rejected the prospect of US naval forces moving closer to the country, insisting that Washington would face a strong response if it resumed its offensive.
The warning came after Trump told supporters at a rally in Florida on Friday that the US military could launch another operation under the name “Epic Fury”, referring to the bombing campaign against Iran at the beginning of the conflict.
According to reports, Trump has also considered whether to intensify military attacks or maintain pressure through a naval blockade and economic sanctions.
Iran Warns US Navy Against Approaching Its Territory
Ali Abdollahi, chief of general staff of the Iranian armed forces, said the US Navy could not safely return to Iran’s territorial waters or surrounding areas because Iranian forces had the capacity to strike vessels operating in the region.
In a statement carried by Iranian state media on Saturday, Abdollahi dismissed the possibility of US troops returning to the Persian Gulf.
He also questioned Washington’s claims that the war had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities, arguing that the US decision to keep its aircraft carriers and support vessels away from Iranian territory contradicted those assertions.
Abdollahi said Iranian forces remained determined to prolong the conflict for the US and Israel in retaliation for the surprise attacks that began on February 28.
The war has contributed to wider instability across the region, with military operations and threats extending beyond Iran.
Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have become another major concern as vessels in and around the strategic waterway continue to face reported attacks.
Al Jazeera reported that Brent crude rose to about $117 per barrel, its highest level since April, amid fears that renewed fighting could further disrupt oil supplies.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said seven tankers had been attacked or struck mines overnight into Thursday. It later claimed that two supertankers hit mines on Friday.
The reported incidents have increased concerns about commercial shipping and the security of a waterway vital to global energy supplies.
The IRGC has also said Iran’s military doctrine has become more offensive as the conflict continues.
Meanwhile, Washington has reportedly ordered some diplomatic personnel to leave Saudi Arabia, with further departures expected from other countries in the region.
The conflict has also involved Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen, which have continued exchanging attacks with Saudi Arabia.
According to the report, attacks have targeted Riyadh, while the King Fahd International Airport area in Dammam and the Shaybah oilfield have also faced reported threats or attacks in recent days.
Saudi forces have carried out strikes in Marib, Taiz and other areas under Houthi control.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli forces reportedly carried out air attacks around Nabatieh and artillery fire near Zawtar ash-Sharqiyah.
Iran has linked the Lebanese front to the wider conflict, previously insisting that any ceasefire agreement with Washington should also cover Lebanon.
Israel has also tightened restrictions in the occupied West Bank following a Palestinian attack in Hebron that reportedly killed two Israeli soldiers.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his desire for regime change in Iran, while Iranian state-linked media and analysts have discussed the possibility of military attacks continuing even if senior Iranian officials are killed.
The IRGC has also threatened to target seabed internet and communications cables if the US and Israel strike Iranian civilian infrastructure again.
As military tensions increase, diplomatic efforts have yet to produce a breakthrough between Washington and Tehran.
Foreign ministers from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt met representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy in Istanbul on Friday to discuss the conflict. Neither the US nor Iran participated.
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, warned that another attack on Iran could widen the conflict across the region.
He said military intervention was not a solution and that the countries involved were not endorsing a new attack.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul blamed Iran and the Houthis for instability in the Middle East. However, the four regional countries issued a joint statement identifying Israeli occupation as a major source of instability.
The regional countries also supported the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June and called for a negotiated settlement.
They demanded unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz and opposed attacks on civilians and commercial vessels.
They also condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and its Red Sea shipping interests.
Iranian media and analysts have expressed growing scepticism about the prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough.
Nour News, an outlet affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, argued that Washington and European powers should make concessions before expecting Tehran to compromise.
The outlet also presented the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as conditional on the US accepting Iran’s demands and acknowledging responsibility for attacks on Iran and Yemen.
Meanwhile, Iranian foreign policy analyst Reza Nasri argued that Tehran would no longer accept negotiations conducted under military pressure or agreements that it believes are not respected by the other side.
With military threats continuing, oil prices rising and diplomatic efforts struggling to make progress, the possibility of renewed US attacks has raised concerns about a wider regional confrontation.
The immediate direction of the conflict remains uncertain as Washington weighs its next steps and Tehran maintains its refusal to back down.
