Iran’s central military command said on Sunday that it has received intelligence indicating the United States is preparing to resume large-scale strikes on the country, warning of retaliation without limitations against American bases and interests across the Middle East. The threat raises the prospect of renewed fighting after a June memorandum that reduced full-scale hostilities expired last month, with both sides digging in ahead of this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The warning came from the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which oversees Iran’s armed forces. Any renewed US assault would bring sustained and painful attacks. “If the U.S. makes any mistake against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all its positions and interests in the region will be targeted by sustained, effective and painful attacks,” the command said, according to semi-official media Tasnim. Regional countries that allow their territory or facilities to support US attacks would be considered complicit and could face an Iranian response.
Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he was in a “deciding mode” over Iran, with options including further military action, economic pressure, or a deal. The only alternatives were “wiping Iran out” or letting its economy “rot” unless both sides reach an agreement, he said. Trump also said he would be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
Diplomatic maneuvering amid military threats
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Tehran on Sunday evening for New York, state media announced, with a brief stopover in Qatar. Qatar has been mediating between the two sides, with officials travelling between capitals and exchanging proposals aimed at restarting negotiations. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said Doha had heard assurances from US officials that Washington wanted an agreement.
Tehran has told Qatari and Pakistani mediators that its conditions for renewed talks include an end to the war and US attacks, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told lawmakers on Sunday that Iran should use military force to push back its opponents before turning to diplomacy. The Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until Washington met its commitments under an earlier agreement, he said.
Shipping disruptions and regional spillover
The confrontation is already disrupting the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway linking the Gulf to the Arabian Sea and a key route for global energy shipments. Shipping data showed 12 commodity vessels crossed the strait over the weekend, down from 35 the previous weekend. The war began in late February after joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Iran said the “world will be astonished” by the new weapons it would use if the US attacks again, as Iranian legislators submitted a bill to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The State Department issued a security alert citing risks of unforeseen escalation in the Middle East, telling Americans to exercise more vigilance and be aware of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures.
Iran-backed Houthi militants claimed missile and drone attacks on Riyadh on Saturday, triggering the first air-raid alert in the Saudi capital since fighting escalated in July. Saudi authorities said they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and reported no casualties or damage. Major-General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for Saudi-led coalition forces, said the Houthis also attempted to target civilians and infrastructure in several parts of the kingdom, though those attacks were thwarted by air defenses. Four people were reported killed in Yemen’s al-Jawf province as fighting continued between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces.
Oil prices pulled back in recent days as traders hoped for a recovery in energy shipments from Saudi Arabia despite widening hostilities. Futures for Brent crude dipped 1.7% to $102.15 a barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate slid 1.8% to $98.46. Analysts at Eurasia Group said in a Saturday note that oil prices would remain high despite US progress in moving oil through the strait. They forecast Brent to trade between $90 and $110 per barrel through the rest of this year. The consultancy said Iran’s leadership would stick with resistance, using military proxies and tanker attacks to maintain pressure on Washington.
Mark Pfeifle, a Republican strategist and former White House national security official, told Al Jazeera that both countries were “locked in this frozen conflict” and trying to increase pressure before possible diplomacy around the UN gathering. An Al Jazeera correspondent in Tehran said Iranian officials were sending a deliberate two-track message, signalling openness to diplomacy while preparing for renewed fighting.