Iran has warned that its armed forces would target American military positions without geographic restrictions if the United States launches fresh attacks against the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said the country’s forces had gained experience from direct confrontation with the United States and Israel and were now stronger and more prepared than they were when the war began in February. He said any response would be carried out on the orders of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Akraminia said Iranian forces had greater motivation, commitment and confidence, adding that their reaction to any new US strike would be immediate and effective, regardless of the location of American targets.
He also said the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened only if the administration of US President Donald Trump accepted Iran’s seven conditions.
Trump keeps pressure on Iran
The warning followed renewed threats from Trump, who said the United States was prepared to conduct another military operation against Iran if necessary.
Trump said on Friday that the US military was producing more weapons than ever and was “locked and loaded” should Washington decide to continue its action against Iran. At the same time, he said he would prefer not to destroy the rest of the country but might have to do so.
His comments came after he appeared to partially agree with Vice President JD Vance, who had attributed the Republicans’ setback in the midterm elections in part to the Iran war and its economic effect on Americans. Trump said he agreed with Vance to some extent but defended the military action, stating that he would make the same decision again under similar circumstances.
The US president also claimed that Israel and the wider Middle East would not exist if he had not prevented Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
US reports limited strikes
Trump later said that US forces had conducted fresh, limited strikes on Iran, including an attack on an Iranian air defence system. He said the system had been built recently and was destroyed within about 15 minutes, or possibly five minutes.
Two explosions were reported in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, an important route for oil shipments. The reported action came after Trump’s Republican Party lost control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the US midterm elections.
At the same time, mediators have continued efforts to reach an understanding between Washington and Tehran. Vance has been directly involved for the past two weeks in indirect discussions focused on securing a new ceasefire and restarting nuclear negotiations.
Iran has indicated that it is prepared to discuss matters linked to its nuclear programme, which remains a major obstacle in the ceasefire talks. Qatar, which is mediating between the two sides, has submitted proposals concerning Iran’s nuclear activities for consideration.
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