Iran's Supreme Leader has issued a stark warning that the entire Middle East region could be engulfed in conflict if the United States initiates military action, as President Donald Trump confirms the deployment of "very big, powerful ships" toward Iranian waters.
Supreme Leader's Regional War Warning
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, has declared through state media that "America should know that if it starts a war, this time it will be a regional war." The 86-year-old leader dismissed American military threats as nothing new, stating that "the Iranian people should not and will not be frightened by such things."
Khamenei emphasised Iran's defensive posture, asserting "we are not the ones who start a war and we do not want to attack any country," but warned that "if America attacks or harms Iran the Iranian nation will deliver a strong blow and any war started by America will spread across the region."
Trump's Naval Deployment and Strategic Ambiguity
President Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while en route to Florida, confirmed the movement of American naval assets toward the region but maintained strategic ambiguity about potential military action. When questioned about his "final decision" regarding Iran, Trump responded: "I certainly can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction, as you know."
The US president expressed hope for diplomatic resolution, stating "I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable," while acknowledging uncertainty about whether Tehran would be willing to reach a "negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons."
Iranian Military Readiness and Defiance
General Amir Hatami, Iran's regular army commander-in-chief, struck a defiant tone in response to the escalating tensions. "Thanks Allah today we are at a high level of military and defensive readiness," Hatami declared, adding that "our fingers are on the trigger" as Iranian forces maintain "complete surveillance" of American movements in the region.
The general warned that any American "mistake" would "endanger their security, the security of their forces, the security of the region, and the security of the criminal Zionist regime," referencing Israel in his statement.
Parliamentary Rhetoric and European Designation
In Tehran's parliament, the speaker declared European Union military forces to be terrorist groups in the eyes of the Islamic Republic, a retaliatory move following the EU's designation of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist faction. This designation came in response to the IRGC's bloody crackdown on protesters within Iran.
Explosions and Diplomatic Signals
Amid the heightened tensions, Iran experienced two explosions on Saturday, though the government denies any military leader was targeted. One blast at the southern port of Bandar Abbas killed a four-year-old girl and injured fourteen others, while a second explosion in Ahvaz, over 1,000 kilometres away, resulted in five fatalities according to state media reports.
Despite the bellicose rhetoric from military and parliamentary figures, some Iranian officials signaled potential diplomatic openings. Ali Larijani, a top security official, posted on social media platform X that "structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing," though Supreme Leader Khamenei has repeatedly ruled out direct talks with the United States.
The situation represents one of the most serious escalations in US-Iran relations in recent years, with both sides demonstrating military readiness while maintaining channels for potential diplomatic resolution, albeit with significant obstacles to meaningful negotiation.
