CAIRO — Iran warned on Thursday that any continuation of U.S. military attacks could expand the conflict into “new arenas,” as fighting between Washington and Tehran intensified and fears mounted that the confrontation could spread further across the Middle East.
Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said Iran's armed forces had not yet employed all of their military capabilities and warned that further U.S. action would draw a response exceeding Washington's expectations. He also said Iran would retaliate if the United States targeted Iranian infrastructure, warning that regional infrastructure could become a target in return.
Iranian military spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia separately said Tehran had "no intention of confronting neighbouring countries" and maintained that Iran sought cooperative relations with regional states. However, he said the country's armed forces remained fully prepared to defend Iran's security and national interests if attacks continued.
The warnings followed another round of U.S. military strikes, which Washington said targeted Iranian coastal defence positions and missile-related facilities after the United States expanded operations linked to security in and around the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials said the strikes were intended to reduce Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping through the strategic waterway.
Iran has described the Strait of Hormuz as a "red line," with Zolfaghari saying Tehran would not permit U.S. interference in the vital shipping route. The waterway, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments normally pass, has become a central focus of the confrontation.
The latest escalation comes after Iran launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, according to Iranian state media and regional reports. U.S. and allied officials have acknowledged attacks on bases in the region, although claims regarding specific damage and military results have not been independently verified.
The conflict has also heightened concerns over regional energy supplies and commercial shipping. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed markedly, while oil markets remain volatile amid uncertainty over whether hostilities could disrupt exports from the Gulf.
No new diplomatic breakthrough had been announced by Thursday, and both Washington and Tehran continued to exchange warnings as military operations persisted.
