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Iran Warns It Will Fire on US Warships as Trump Weighs New Strikes — AI-generated representative image: A US Navy warship transits the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran.

Editorial Team

Tehran says American naval forces cannot re-enter the Persian Gulf as regional and European powers meet in Istanbul to press for de-escalation.

Iran's armed forces said on Saturday they are prepared to fire on United States warships, as President Donald Trump indicated Washington is still weighing new attacks or continued pressure on Tehran. Ali Abdollahi, chief of general staff of the Iranian armed forces, asserted that the US Navy is incapable of re-entering Iran's territorial waters or its periphery because of Iran's ability to target any vessel in the region.

The warning came a day after Trump told supporters at a rally in Florida that the US military "may do another Epic Fury," referring to the extensive bombing campaign against Iran at the start of the eight-month war.

The escalating rhetoric underscores how the conflict, which began with a surprise attack on Iran on February 28, continues to destabilize the wider Middle East. Attacks on shipping around the Strait of Hormuz have driven Brent crude to about $117 a barrel, its highest price since April, while related fronts in Yemen, Lebanon and the occupied West Bank show no sign of quieting.

Military Threats and Regional Attacks

Abdollahi, speaking through state media, said US claims that Iran's military capabilities had been mostly destroyed were contradicted by Washington's refusal to bring its aircraft carriers and support vessels closer to Iranian territory. He added that Iranian forces were determined to "drown" the US and Israel in a "quagmire" in retaliation for the February 28 surprise attack.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said seven tankers were attacked or hit mines overnight into Thursday, and claimed on Friday that two supertankers struck mines. The IRGC has described its military doctrine as now more offensive. Washington has reportedly ordered many diplomatic personnel to leave Saudi Arabia, with others set to depart other countries in the region.

The Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen continued exchanging attacks with Saudi Arabia, hitting Riyadh again on Saturday, with the international airport in Dammam and the Shaybah oilfield targeted in recent days. Saudi forces have bombed Marib, Taiz and other Yemeni provinces under Houthi control. In southern Lebanon, Friday brought reported Israeli air attacks around Nabatieh and artillery fire near Zawtar ash-Sharqiyah.

Background of the Eight-Month War

The conflict began on February 28 with a surprise attack on Iran, launching a war that has involved the US and Israel on one side and Iran and its regional allies on the other. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his desire to overthrow the Iranian government, prompting several state-linked media and analysts in Iran to claim Tehran has activated a "dead hand" doctrine that would allow military attacks against US, Israeli and regional interests to continue from across the country's 31 provinces if senior Iranian figures are assassinated again.

The IRGC has threatened seabed internet and communication cables if Iran's civilian infrastructure is targeted again. US-based Axios on Saturday cited US intelligence claiming that Iranian authorities had "substantially increased" efforts to strike American officials in the Middle East and beyond.

Diplomatic Efforts in Istanbul

Top diplomats from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt met on Friday in Istanbul with the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, with neither the US nor Iran participating. "We agree that a new attack on Iran would widen the war and spread the conflict across the region," Turkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said. "Military intervention in Iran is by no means a solution. No one is endorsing it at this point."

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said his government held Iran and the Houthis responsible for instability in the Middle East. However, the four regional countries issued a joint statement saying "Israeli occupation was the main source of instability in the region and beyond." They supported the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June and a negotiated settlement, while demanding unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz and condemning Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

What Lies Ahead

Mediated negotiations between Iran and the US remain stalled. Nour News, an outlet affiliated with Iran's Supreme National Security Council, argued that the US and European powers must make concessions first and presented reopening the Strait of Hormuz as conditional on Washington accepting Tehran's demands. Netanyahu faces an election on October 27, days before the November 3 mid-term elections in the US, while additional confirmation on any new military action remains awaited.