US and Iran exchange warnings as Trump hints at fresh strikes

Tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated sharply after United States President Donald Trump suggested further military action could occur soon to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, prompting Iranian officials to threaten sweeping retaliation across the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters at the White House before traveling to Iowa on Thursday, Trump stated that the US was not engaged in talks with Iran and signaled that additional measures could be imminent. While he declined to outline specific targets, timing, or operational details, he maintained that the administration would not allow the Iranian government to acquire nuclear arms, remarking that the military might go further following past strikes.

In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared it has shifted its operational posture to a decentralized mosaic defense system. Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hossein Mohebi announced on state media that Iranian forces would no longer limit themselves to proportional counterstrikes if hostilities resumed, stating they would take the initiative to launch attacks. The military posture has adopted an offensive and asymmetrical stance, with warnings that Tehran could strike American bases and regional energy facilities if neighboring states assist US or Israeli military campaigns.

The standoff comes alongside growing peril in Gulf shipping lanes. The Revolutionary Guard warned that American naval convoys in contested waters risked triggering direct strikes against US installations. Iranian forces also alleged that three more vessels had hit naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier in the week, explosions were reported in Hormozgan province near the waterway, coinciding with spikes in international oil prices and commercial flight disruptions.

Diplomatic options remain deadlocked. Major General Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, indicated that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is still attainable but conditioned on Washington fulfilling seven requirements submitted via mediators. Rezaei stated that Tehran would not rely solely on diplomatic goodwill, insisting that structural guarantees must precede any decision to lift restrictions on the strait or restore shipping protocols coordinated with Oman.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that Tehran remains open to dialogue provided the United States demonstrates a genuine intent to establish trust, while cautioning that opting for armed conflict would lead to strategic failure. Meanwhile, despite intermediary efforts facilitated by Qatar and Pakistan, direct communication between the two adversaries remains frozen, heightening international concerns over broader regional security and vital global energy supplies.