Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Wednesday warned any renewed attacks on the country would spark a conflict reaching beyond the Middle East, after US President Donald Trump said strikes could resume within days.
The IRGC said the “American Zionist enemy” failed to learn from what it described as repeated strategic defeats inflicted by Iran. It warned Tehran would deliver “crushing blows” in places “you do not imagine”.
“If the aggression against Iran is repeated, the regional war that was promised will this time extend beyond the region,” the IRGC said in a statement.
The warning came as Mr Trump said he had called off a planned US attack, but left the door open to renewed military action. “I hope we don’t have to do the war, but we may have to give them another big hit,” he said on Tuesday. He added that any decision could come within “two or three days – maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or early next week”.
US Vice President JD Vance struck a more cautious note, saying talks had made “a lot of progress” and suggesting Tehran could still agree to a deal. But he also warned military action remained “option B” if negotiations collapsed.
The war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes across Iran, has disrupted energy flows from the Gulf and strained global shipping routes. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8.
Iran has maintained a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route, and has resisted US demands to fully dismantle remaining nuclear infrastructure despite facing attacks.
In Washington, resistance to further escalation appears to be growing, with the Republican-led Senate advancing a procedural vote on a resolution aimed at ending hostilities.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on X that any renewed conflict would bring “surprises”, referring to Iran’s claim that it had downed an F-35 fighter jet. “With lessons learnt and knowledge we gained, a return to war will feature many more surprises,” he added.
'Criminal act'
Regional tension escalated at the weekend when a drone strike caused a fire near the Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi. The UAE said on Tuesday that the drone was launched from Iraqi territory.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, described the attack on Barakah by what he called Iranian militias as a “dangerous indicator” of the threats facing the region.
In a post on X, Dr Gargash said the attack was a “deliberate criminal act” and a violation of international law, warning that “from Hormuz to Barakah, the threat extends beyond the Arabian Gulf to encompass the entire international system”.
The UAE's ambassador to the UN, Mohamed Abushahab, told an emergency Security Council meeting on Tuesday that attacks on nuclear plants were a “red line”. He added that the UAE reserved the right to defend its territory under international law.
Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continue on several fronts.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an immediate end to hostilities during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a state visit.
Ending the war would help stabilise energy supplies and global trade, Mr Xi said. “It is imperative to stop the fighting,” he added.
Mr Putin's visit follows recent trips to Beijing by Mr Trump and Mr Araghchi, as Washington and Tehran remain deadlocked over the strait and efforts to turn the ceasefire into a lasting settlement.
Their meeting came as two Chinese supertankers carrying about four million barrels of crude oil from the Middle East exited the strait on Wednesday following weeks of delays, Reuters reported, referring to shipping data.
Pressure on Iran’s energy trade also appeared to intensify after the Wall Street Journal reported the US had seized an Iran-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean. The tanker, the Skywave, was placed under sanctions by Washington in March for transporting Iranian oil and was believed to be carrying more than one million barrels of crude loaded at Iran’s Kharg Island terminal. Ship-tracking data showed the vessel sailing south-east of Sri Lanka on Wednesday after leaving Qingdao in China, in March.
