Iran Threatens US Warships as Trump Weighs New Strikes

Brent crude oil prices reached approximately $117 per barrel on Friday, marking the highest level since April. This price surge coincides with a fresh military threat from Tehran. Iranian armed forces stated they are prepared to fire on United States warships. President Donald Trump indicated on Friday that Washington has not yet decided on its next move in the conflict.

The war began on February 28 with a surprise attack by the US and Israel. That action started an eight-month conflict that has unsettled the region. Trump, speaking to supporters in Florida, referenced the initial large-scale bombing campaign. He said the US military "may do another Epic Fury." Earlier, the president had considered ending the fighting quickly with massive strikes or letting naval blockades and sanctions continue to pressure Tehran.

Ali Abdollahi, the chief of general staff of Iran's armed forces, issued a statement via state media on Saturday morning. He declared that the US Navy cannot re-enter Iranian territorial waters or its surroundings. "The US president can only dream of their soldiers and military again entering the Persian Gulf," Abdollahi said. He argued that US rhetoric is contradictory. While Washington claims Iranian military capabilities are largely destroyed, the US has refused to move aircraft carriers and support ships closer to Iranian territory.

Abdollahi stated that Iranian forces intend to "drown" the US and Israel in a "quagmire." Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz remains under attack. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that seven tankers were attacked or hit mines in the hours leading up to Thursday. On Friday, the group claimed two supertankers struck mines. Washington has reportedly ordered many diplomatic staff to leave Saudi Arabia, with others due to depart other regional countries.

Fighting continues on other fronts. The Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen struck Riyadh on Saturday. This follows recent attacks on Dammam's international airport and the Shaybah oilfield. Saudi forces have bombed Houthi-held areas, including Marib and Taiz. In southern Lebanon, Israeli air strikes hit the area around Nabatieh, and artillery fell near Zawtar ash-Sharqiyah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a lockdown of the occupied West Bank after a Palestinian attack killed two soldiers in Hebron. An election is scheduled for October 27.

Iranian state-linked media claim Tehran has activated a "dead hand" doctrine. This plan would allow attacks on US, Israeli, and regional interests to continue from all 31 provinces if senior leaders are assassinated. The IRGC has threatened seabed internet and communication cables if civilian infrastructure is targeted again. Axios reported on Saturday, citing US intelligence, that Iran has "substantially increased" efforts to strike American officials in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Diplomatic talks mediated between Tehran and Washington have produced no progress. On Friday, senior diplomats from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt met with counterparts from the UK, France, Germany, and Italy in Istanbul. Neither the US nor Iran attended. Turkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said a new attack on Iran "would widen the war and spread the conflict across the region." He added that "no one is endorsing it at this point."

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul blamed Iran and the Houthis for regional instability. The four regional ministers stated that "Israeli occupation was the main source of instability." They supported the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June and demanded unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Nour News, an outlet affiliated with Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the meeting showed a "gap between diplomatic claims and realities in the field." Reformist newspaper Etemad suggested the "zero hour" of another intense round is approaching. Analyst Reza Nasri wrote that Iran "will no longer negotiate under bombardment."