WASHINGTON/TEHRAN – US President Donald Trump on Sunday again threatened to resume strikes against Iran "at some point," while the Iranian Army warned that any renewed conflict could be longer and more extensive than the previous one.
"The only reason we are not finished with Iran is because I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can," Trump told supporters at a rally in Iowa ahead of the Nov 3 US midterm elections. "At some point, we're going to have to give them the hammer."
In response, Iranian Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia warned that any renewed US "aggression" against Iran would be met with "an immediate, decisive response on a larger scale than before", extending beyond West Asia.
"US facilities, equipment, personnel, and interests could be targeted wherever they are within reach," he was quoted as saying by Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency.
A potential new conflict could also "last considerably longer" than the previous one, he added.
Meanwhile, US news outlet Axios reported on Sunday that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call on Saturday, during which Netanyahu urged Trump to strike Iran "immediately after the midterm elections." Trump, however, reportedly preferred to allow negotiations to continue, an approach that has caused concern for Netanyahu.
Two 'violating' oil tankers exploded
Also on Sunday, the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that two "violating" oil tankers, including a supertanker, suffered explosions and were stopped after hitting naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz within the preceding hours.
In a statement published on the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said the tankers were transiting the "unauthorized" route in the strait.
It added the supertanker "suffered a massive explosion and is burning", stressing that both vessels had turned off their navigation and identification systems.
Also on Sunday, spokesman for the IRGC Hossein Mohebbi said Iranian forces have determined a vast battlefield to inflict damage on the "enemy" and achieve complete deterrence, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency
Mohebbi said at a conference in Iran's southeastern Kerman province that Iranian forces are more prepared than ever "to respond decisively to the enemy".
He pointed to recent orders from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to senior military commanders, saying the leader's guidelines "opened a new chapter of war".
Mohebbi highlighted Khamenei's emphasis that "there is no geographical limitation in the war with the United States," saying the IRGC has placed on its agenda identifying new enemy targets and planning operations in new geographical regions.
