No limits on retaliation: Iran warns US and its allies against fresh attacks

Iran on Sunday warned that any major new attack by the United States and its allies would trigger sustained retaliation against American bases and interests across West Asia.

Iran’s Central Military Command said it had received information that Washington, with support from some regional countries, was preparing to resume military action against the country, according to state media.

"Any fresh US military action would be met with strikes without any limitations or considerations on American bases and interests across the region," it said.

The Military Command did not identify the countries allegedly supporting Washington but warned that any nation assisting a US attack would be treated as a party to the conflict and face retaliation.

The warning came as Tehran awaited US President Donald Trump’s response to seven conditions it sent through Qatar for negotiations to end the nearly seven-month conflict.

IRAN SETS CONDITIONS FOR TALKS

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Qatar had conveyed Tehran’s conditions to Washington.

“We remain in contact with the mediator Qatar, which has conveyed our conditions to Washington with the aim of ending the war. We are awaiting President Trump’s response,” Rezaei told Al Jazeera.

The demands include an end to the war on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian funds and the lifting of the naval blockade against Iran.

“It is in Washington’s interest to accept these conditions. Trump’s threats will not achieve any results. We are prepared for a decisive war,” Rezaei said.

Qatar and Pakistan have been trying to restart negotiations between Tehran and Washington since a memorandum of understanding expired last month.

Rezaei said another US attack was “very much on the cards” and that Iran had refocused its military planning on American naval assets from the Gulf to the Arabian Sea.

He also claimed Iran had recently tested a multi-warhead anti-ship missile near a US vessel or aircraft carrier.

HOUTHI ATTACKS RAISE TENSIONS

Iran’s warning came amid another round of regional escalation following drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

The Houthis said they attacked targets in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and a major oil facility in the Red Sea port of Yanbu on Saturday. Explosions were heard in Riyadh, while a large plume of black smoke was seen near the city’s main international airport.

Saudi Arabia did not comment on the Houthi claims. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the group, however, said it had foiled other attacks on the kingdom.

The attacks have increased pressure on Riyadh as it decides whether to intensify military action against the Houthis or limit its response to avoid further strikes on airports, oil facilities and other critical infrastructure.

The Houthis have made gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast since fighting in the country intensified this month. Their growing presence near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has increased concerns over shipping between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

The US State Department issued a security alert on Saturday, warning of an unforeseen escalation and advising Americans to prepare for flight cancellations and airspace closures.

NO BREAKTHROUGH ON CEASEFIRE

The latest developments have added to concerns over global energy supplies, with commercial shipping already facing severe disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has blocked most traffic along the waterway, while a US blockade of Iranian ports has restricted Tehran’s oil exports and added to pressure on its economy.

An interim ceasefire reached in June collapsed the following month after the two sides disagreed over its terms. Despite the growing economic and military costs, there has been little indication of a breakthrough.

Iran said on Sunday that it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the terms of the June agreement, as understood by Tehran, were implemented.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Tehran would fight and negotiate simultaneously, using diplomacy to consolidate its military gains.