Iran warns of retaliation after US officials hint at new military options
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Iran's Revolutionary Guard said any U.S. strike would trigger attacks on American bases, while the United States issued a security alert for its citizens in the Middle East amid rising tensions.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that a U.S. bombing campaign would prompt "continuous, effective and painful attacks" on American bases and interests across the region, without limitation. The statement followed remarks by President Donald Trump, who told a Fox News reporter that the United States was considering "very big things" and options that included "wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal."
The comments came as the United States State Department issued a security alert to Americans in the Middle East, urging heightened vigilance amid a "complex" environment with potential for unforeseen escalation. The alert was issued after a series of missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, which damaged Aramco oil facilities and the port of Yanbu.
The United States views the Houthis as an Iranian-backed proxy and has suggested that the attacks would not occur without Tehran’s approval, a claim Iran denies. Iranian officials accused Gulf states of "double dealing" by allegedly permitting U.S. action and said reprisals could extend to U.S. naval forces in the Indian Ocean.
In parallel diplomatic developments, France announced it would summon Iran’s ambassador after Iranian authorities closed a French-language centre in Tehran, calling the action a violation of diplomatic conventions. The French foreign ministry described the closure as "unjustifiable and unacceptable."
Trump is scheduled to meet Gulf Cooperation Council members at the United Nations General Assembly and has expressed openness to a meeting with Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, although Iran typically negotiates through intermediaries. Meanwhile, Iranian negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf reiterated that Iran does not seek a prolonged war with the United States, while hard-line security council member Mohsen Rezaei reaffirmed Tehran’s preconditions for peace, including the lifting of sanctions and the restoration of frozen assets.