Iran warns new war could last longer

Iran has warned that a renewed war with the United States could last longer than the conflict started by Washington and Israel in February, after President Donald Trump threatened further strikes.

Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said Trump would not dictate a future war's timing or conclusion, warning that hostilities would engulf a wider geographical area. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also warned on X that there would be no 'red lines'.

Speaking in Florida on Saturday, Trump said the US had decimated Iran's military and nuclear programme but could strike one or two remaining sites, including the suspected Pickaxe Mountain underground complex, 'in 10 minutes'. Tehran denied nuclear work there, while Trump called Iran unreliable despite stating that peace talks were 'going fine'.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Trump remained open to diplomacy and had not decided on fresh strikes, though Washington could achieve military objectives if sought.

In his first reported military meeting since succeeding his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in March strikes, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered an 'immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response' and an updated target list of all tangible and intangible US and Israeli assets.

Restricting the Strait of Hormuz, which carries one-fifth of global oil, Iran also threatened to sever undersea cables. After the Revolutionary Guards reported three oil tankers halted by mines on Friday, state television said on Saturday another ship struck a mine and caught fire.

Amid Qatari and Pakistani mediation, Qatari envoys reached Tehran on Friday, and US Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to security chief Mohsen Rezaei, who called the changed tone 'a good sign'. However, Rezaei vowed to maintain the Hormuz blockade until conditions, including releasing frozen assets are met, while Araghchi told Al Jazeera that mediator consultations continue with no US meetings planned.

Source: The Journal