Iran warns US warships as Trump weighs renewed attacks

• Iran has warned it is ready to target US warships as Donald Trump weighs renewed military strikes or continued pressure through sanctions and a naval blockade

• Rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and attacks across the region have pushed Brent crude to around $117 a barrel, raising fears of wider conflict

• Diplomatic efforts remain stalled as regional and European powers call for negotiations, while Iran signals a tougher stance against the US and Israel

Iran’s armed forces have warned that they are prepared to target US warships as President Donald Trump weighs whether to launch another round of attacks or maintain pressure on Tehran through a naval blockade and sanctions, the Al Jazeera reported.

Speaking at a rally in Florida on Friday, Trump said the US military could launch another operation under the name “Epic Fury”, referring to the extensive bombing campaign against Iran at the beginning of the conflict. He has also considered whether to escalate military action or allow economic and maritime pressure to weaken Tehran.

Ali Abdollahi, chief of general staff of Iran’s armed forces, said on Saturday that US naval forces would be unable to approach Iranian territorial waters or nearby areas because of Iran’s capability to strike vessels operating in the region, the Al Jazeera reported.

“The US president can only dream of their soldiers and military again entering the Persian Gulf. They will take this wish to the grave for good,” Abdollahi said in a statement carried by Iranian state media.

He questioned Washington’s claims that Iran’s military capabilities had been largely destroyed, arguing that the continued reluctance of US aircraft carriers and support vessels to approach Iranian territory contradicted those assertions.

Abdollahi also vowed that Iranian forces would seek to draw the US and Israel into a prolonged conflict in retaliation for the surprise attack on Iran on 28 February. The war has heightened instability across the West Asia and raised concerns about further escalation.

Attacks on vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, combined with fears of renewed hostilities, have pushed global oil prices higher. Brent crude rose to around $117 a barrel, its highest level since April.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said seven tankers had been attacked or struck mines overnight into Thursday. On Friday, it claimed that two supertankers had also hit mines.

The IRGC has indicated that Iran is adopting a more offensive military posture. Meanwhile, reports said Washington had ordered some diplomatic personnel to leave Saudi Arabia, with further departures expected from other countries in the region.

Iran’s regional allies have also remained active. Yemen’s Houthi movement has continued its confrontation with Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh reportedly targeted again on Saturday. The international airport in Dammam and the Shaybah oilfield have also been reported as targets in recent days.

Saudi forces, meanwhile, have carried out strikes in Marib, Taiz and other areas of Yemen under Houthi control.

In southern Lebanon, Israeli air attacks were reported around Nabatieh on Friday, alongside artillery fire near Zawtar ash-Sharqiyah. Tehran has repeatedly argued that any ceasefire agreement with Washington should also cover Lebanon, linking developments on that front to the broader conflict.

Regional conflict widens

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a lockdown of the occupied West Bank after a Palestinian attack in Hebron killed two Israeli soldiers. The developments come amid heightened tensions across Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank.

Netanyahu has reiterated his stated aim of overthrowing the Iranian government. In response, some Iranian state-linked media outlets and analysts have suggested that Tehran may have activated what they describe as a “dead hand” doctrine, under which attacks against US, Israeli and regional interests could continue even if senior Iranian leaders were killed.

The claims have not been independently verified.

The IRGC has also threatened to target undersea internet and communications cables if the US and Israel attack Iran’s civilian infrastructure again. Separately, US-based Axios reported on Saturday, citing US intelligence, that Iranian authorities had substantially increased efforts to target American officials in the West Asia and beyond.

Diplomatic efforts remain stalled

Mediated negotiations between Iran and the US have made little progress, even as regional and European powers seek to coordinate their response to the conflict.

Diplomats from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt met representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy in Istanbul on Friday. Neither Washington nor Tehran participated in the meeting.

The four regional countries backed the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June and called for a negotiated settlement. They also demanded unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, opposed attacks on civilians and commercial vessels, and condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and its Red Sea shipping interests.

Nour News, an outlet affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, described the Istanbul meeting as evidence of a gap between diplomatic statements and conditions on the ground.

In its Saturday analysis, the outlet argued that the US and European powers should make concessions before Iran. It also suggested that reopening the Strait of Hormuz would depend on Washington accepting Tehran’s demands and acknowledging responsibility for attacks on Iran and Yemen.

Iranian newspapers on Saturday focused on the possibility of renewed fighting and the economic consequences of the conflict, particularly rising oil prices.

Hardline newspaper Vatan-e Emrooz described Brent crude climbing above $117 a barrel as evidence of what it called a failure for Trump. Reformist newspaper Etemad warned that US and Israeli actions suggested another intense phase of the war could be approaching.

Reza Nasri, a Tehran-based foreign policy analyst with links to Iran’s Foreign Ministry, argued that decades of attacks, nuclear sabotage, sanctions and disputed agreements had pushed Tehran towards a tougher position.

In a post on X, Nasri said Iran would no longer negotiate under bombardment or accept agreements that the other side could disregard. He added that Tehran intended to end what it sees as a continuing cycle of attacks and retaliation.

With diplomatic efforts stalled, maritime security deteriorating and several regional fronts remaining active, the prospect of renewed US-Iran hostilities continues to threaten wider instability across the West Asia.