Iran warns of wider war
Ayatollah Mojtaba Jamenei says the conflict will expand if the U.S. resumes military strikes after recent attacks on Qeshm Island.
By Rosa Fuentes ·
Tehran has warned that the conflict in the Middle East will expand if the United States resumes its military operations against the Islamic Republic.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Jamenei issued the warning in a written message on his official website. He stated that if aggression similar to recent strikes repeats, the war will reach a much larger scale. The threat comes after U.S. forces launched limited attacks on the Iranian island of Qeshm early Tuesday morning.
The warning follows speculation in recent days about a short, intense military campaign. These rumors surfaced after the U.S. midterm elections held on Tuesday, which resulted in a major defeat for President Donald Trump's Republican Party. Trump had declared over the weekend that he was ready to deliver a crushing blow to Tehran.
Jamenei, who took power in March after his father died during the initial attacks of the war in February, has not appeared in public since assuming leadership. He used his social media account to dismiss the idea that Washington might change its approach. He called those who hope for a shift in behavior or believe concessions will deter U.S. hostility deeply wrong.
The region has been on alert for weeks regarding the potential resumption of large-scale U.S. military operations. The war, which began more than eight months ago, has shaken the global economy and devastated Iran. Regional allies of the United States are urging Washington to avoid restarting the fighting while diplomatic talks continue to prevent renewed clashes.
Inside the United States, Vice President JD Vance linked the midterm election results to the conflict. He stated on the social platform X that the war with Iran was the cause of the Republican party's crushing defeat.
