Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has warned the United States and Israel that any new attack will face an immediate response without geographical limits. At the same time, the United Arab Emirates has said it hopes Qatar-led mediation can still stop a new round of fighting.
What Khamenei ordered
Khamenei gave the order on Saturday in a meeting with senior military commanders, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency and a statement posted on his Telegram channel. He said any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response.
He also ordered commanders to update Iran’s target list to include all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to what he called the American-Zionist enemy. He said that if the enemies resume military or terrorist attacks, it will be Iran’s armed forces and nation that decide when and under what conditions those attacks end.
Iran’s army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia warned separately that any renewed war would be longer and wider than the last one. He said the flames of war would engulf a much wider geographical area. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on X that there would no longer be any red lines.
What Trump and Rubio said
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has knocked out much of Iran’s military but still has one or two targets to deal with, and that it could do so in 10 minutes. On Sunday he again threatened to resume strikes against Iran at some point.
Trump had earlier warned that a new attack could come after the US midterm elections on November 3. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Trump has not made a decision about fresh strikes, and that the US would be open to a diplomatic solution.
A separate report has said allies were told to prepare for possible strikes on November 4, the day after the midterms. That report has not been confirmed.
UAE hopes for a breakthrough
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said on Sunday at the Manama Dialogue security forum in Bahrain that his country hopes Qatar-led mediation can deliver a diplomatic breakthrough. He said the region does not want another round of confrontation, and that military solutions will only complicate the situation and bring no quick off-ramps.
Gargash also said the UAE is braced for the worst, and that the US and Iran remain far apart. He warned that if their positions are not bridged, then we have to worry about the worst.
Araghchi said Iranian negotiators are in Qatar for talks on a proposal that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days. He said there are no direct talks with the US, and that the outcome depends on answers from Washington to Iran’s questions. The strait normally carries around one-fifth of global oil consumption.
Why this matters now
The war began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and US bases in the region, and tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire was reached in April, but tensions have persisted.
Gulf states now fear that another attack could unleash an even more destructive war across the region. With the US midterms on Tuesday and mediation talks still going on in Qatar, the next few days could decide whether diplomacy or fighting comes first.
Read more of our US-Iran Diplomacy: Vance Letter to Tehran Tests Talks Before Midterms. Read more of our Politics coverage.
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