Iran's military command has warned that the United States is preparing to resume strikes against the Islamic Republic, raising fears of a new escalation in a conflict that began in late February with joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which oversees Iran's armed forces, said on Sunday that any renewed assault would trigger sustained retaliation against US bases and interests across the Middle East, and that regional states allowing their territory or facilities to be used in such attacks would be "considered complicit" and could face an Iranian response. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps added that reprisals could extend as far as US naval forces in the Indian Ocean.
President Donald Trump, who cut short a weekend visit to the Camp David presidential retreat without official explanation, told Fox News he was in "deciding mode" on Iran and that "big things" would be happening "in the not-so-distant future." He outlined his options as intensifying military action, applying sustained economic pressure, or reaching a diplomatic deal, and said he would be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week. The US State Department simultaneously issued security alerts to American citizens across the Middle East, warning that the environment "remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation" and advising those outside the region to "seriously reconsider" travel there. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also cut short his US visit and returned home, adding to regional anxiety.
The standoff is unfolding against a rapidly deteriorating security backdrop. A 60-day memorandum reached in June had reduced full-scale fighting, but expired last month, and pressure around the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman linking the Gulf to the Arabian Sea and a critical corridor for global energy shipments — has increased sharply since. Shipping data showed only 12 commodity vessels crossed the strait over the weekend, compared with 35 the previous weekend. Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, told lawmakers that Tehran should use military force to press its advantages before turning to diplomacy, and said the strait would remain closed until Washington met its obligations under the earlier agreement. Iranian officials are simultaneously sending what observers describe as a deliberate two-track message — preparing for renewed conflict while keeping channels open for negotiation.
Iran has communicated to Qatari and Pakistani mediators that its conditions for returning to talks include a halt to US military operations, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and the lifting of a US naval blockade on Iranian ports. Qatar, which has been shuttling proposals between capitals, said its officials have received assurances from Washington that the US wants an agreement. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed for New York on Sunday, stopping briefly in Qatar en route, while Pezeshkian is among the world leaders due to address the General Assembly. Iran has historically refused direct negotiations with the US, preferring to operate through intermediaries such as Qatar and Pakistan; Islamabad said it would use the UN gathering to emphasise its mediatory role and call for dialogue and restraint.
Why this matters: the convergence of military threats, disrupted energy routes, and high-stakes diplomacy at the UN makes the coming days a potential turning point. The Strait of Hormuz alone handles a significant share of the world's seaborne oil exports, and its effective closure to western traffic is already straining European energy supplies. A Republican strategist and former White House national security official told Al Jazeera that both sides appear to be escalating pressure ahead of possible diplomacy — but with hawks on both sides pushing for confrontation, the margin for miscalculation is dangerously narrow.