Iran has warned that any new US strikes will be met with a stronger and quicker response than before.
The warning came on Sunday from Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who said the time for measured replies is over. He spoke after recent exchanges that began with US strikes last week and have now pulled both sides deeper into direct confrontation amid an ongoing six-month standoff.
Ghalibaf stated that attacks on Iranian interests would now draw faster, heavier, and more damaging reactions. The remarks follow a series of incidents over the weekend. US forces said Iran fired missiles at an American aircraft carrier and a destroyer in the region, but claimed the ships avoided damage.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the US vessels were forced to retreat after suffering hits. In reply, the US military struck three oil tankers it linked to the Guards, saying one was disabled near Kharg Island, another near Jask, and a third was destroyed in the Gulf of Oman.
Iran quickly struck back, targeting what it called three tankers using an unauthorised route through the Strait of Hormuz. It also claimed to have hit a US naval drone attempting to enter the waterway. US officials described that claim as false.
The back-and-forth has left shipping through the strategic strait under heightened tension, with Iran warning vessels against using routes it has not approved.
