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Iran has warned that a renewed conflict with the United States could expand to undersea internet cables, data centres, artificial intelligence (AI) facilities and US-linked infrastructure across the region.
Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei said on Thursday that negotiations with Washington had been suspended, according to the state news agency IRNA. The warning comes amid escalating tensions over maritime security, sanctions and restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its naval forces had targeted four ships in the northern Persian Gulf. The vessels were allegedly transferring oil cargoes between ships while travelling along unauthorised routes.
The IRGC said fires were still burning aboard the targeted vessels after the strikes. It claimed its forces had tracked the ships before hitting them simultaneously.
The Iranian force also accused the United States of encouraging vessels to cross a maritime passage allegedly planted with mines. It said the situation was contributing to an increase in maritime incidents.
The IRGC warned Washington that continued actions could prompt Iran to expand its response to American military bases in the region.
In a separate statement, the IRGC Navy said three additional vessels had collided with mines west of the Strait of Hormuz. The incidents could further intensify concerns over commercial shipping and regional energy supplies.
The claims about the attacks, oil transfers and mine-related incidents could not be independently verified from the information provided.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington was not negotiating with Tehran. He added that a development in the conflict would occur “fairly soon.”
“No, I think we’re not negotiating,” Trump told reporters after returning from a rally in South Carolina. “We are going to have something one way or the other that’ll happen fairly soon.”
Trump also suggested that developments could come after the US midterm elections.
Speaking at the rally, he said the United States could end its war with Iran immediately but wanted to ensure that any outcome would last.
“It’ll end very soon. We could leave now, but we want to make sure it lasts for a long time,” he said.
Trump claimed that the United States had defeated Iran militarily and financially. He also insisted that Tehran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.
However, Iran’s latest warnings suggest that tensions remain high despite diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional conflict.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the US and Israeli militaries had developed plans for possible renewed strikes against Iran following the US midterm elections.
Citing US officials and other people briefed on the discussions, the newspaper said preparations included stepped-up military exercises. These reportedly involved flights over Iraq to practise strike manoeuvres.
Potential targets could include Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile and drone arsenals, and energy infrastructure.
The report also said US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week to discuss possible new strikes.
Plans reportedly included the possibility of targeting Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried site associated with Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, the newspaper stressed that it remained uncertain whether Trump would approve another round of attacks. The president has repeatedly rejected plans to return to major combat operations this year, according to the report.
A White House official told the newspaper that the administration does not comment on military plans “that may or may not exist.”
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A senior Iranian security official separately warned that Tehran could consider US political assets and infrastructure in countries participating in a renewed war as legitimate targets.
According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the official said such action could follow the assassination of Iranian officials or the killing of civilians.
The official also claimed that Tehran viewed Washington’s diplomatic overtures as unreliable and expected the United States and Israel to launch another attack.
The assessment had reportedly hardened following remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Athens. Tehran interpreted those remarks as providing a historical and civilisational justification for the war, the official said.
The official further alleged that Israel had become the dominant influence on Trump’s Middle East policy, limiting Washington’s ability to pursue a diplomatic settlement.
These statements reflect the Iranian official’s position and have not been independently established.
The Iranian official said Tehran already considered itself at war with the United States. Iran views Washington’s economic and naval blockade, along with restrictions on Iranian airspace, as a continuation of hostilities that began on February 28.
The official added that growing domestic pressure was pushing Iranian authorities towards what he described as decisive action to break the blockade.
According to Fars, Iran has instructed operational units to consider US political assets and infrastructure in countries participating in a future conflict as legitimate targets if Iranian officials are assassinated or civilians are killed.
The warning comes amid heightened tensions over maritime security and restrictions affecting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments.
Diplomatic contacts involving Pakistan and Qatar have also featured in efforts to maintain communication between Tehran and Washington. However, the latest public statements indicate that the risk of renewed military action remains a major concern.
[…] Iran Warns of Wider Retaliation as Trump Rules Out Talks and Strike Plans Emerge […]