DUBAI —Iran and the United States exchanged new threats on Monday, raising fears of a return to all-out hostilities in the Iran war ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.US President Donald Trump said Iran would fail economically or face its leadership being wiped out if it didn’t make a deal, and the Iranian military said it would retaliate harshly to any fresh attack.Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he was in “deciding mode” as he considers options including “wiping Iran out,” “letting them rot economically,” or trying again to strike a deal to end the war. He said he would “probably” be open to meeting his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week.A spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday threatened to respond to any new US assault with unspecified new weapons and an expansion of “the geography” of the nearly seven-month war.Earlier, Iran’s military central command said any new attack would trigger sustained retaliation against US bases and interests and that Washington’s regional allies would be considered parties to the conflict.The Iranian military added that it had information that an attack was being prepared, without elaborating on what that information might be.US embassies across the Middle East issued security alerts on Sunday as fighting between Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led international coalition backing the Yemeni government intensified. The embassies told US nationals to exercise caution and be prepared for travel disruptions, citing the “potential for unforeseen escalation” in the region.Iran’s IRGC warned on Monday that the war with the US is not yet over and that it has prepared for a “long-term war” with weapons that have not yet been used, spokesman Hossein Mohebi said.Mohebi said Iran had upgraded its weapons capabilities during and before the war, and described the unused systems as “strategic” and to be deployed if necessary.Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, in a joint statement with the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, claimed control of the Strait of Hormuz had passed to Iranian management and said its forces would not stand down.The Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters said separately that it had obtained intelligence indicating the US, with support from unnamed regional countries, was preparing to resume strikes on Iran following a joint meeting held in an unspecified European country.It said that in the event of a new US attack, “all of that country’s bases and interests in the region, without any restrictions or consideration, will be subjected to continuous, effective and painful attacks.” Iranian leaders have also warned that retaliatory action could target US naval forces in the Indian Ocean.Trump, who cut short his Camp David weekend and returned to the White House on Saturday evening without explanation, told Fox News he was weighing his options on Iran “if and when do I blow the entire nation up.”Trump has previously threatened to “wipe” Iran “off the face of this Earth,” sparking considerable backlash at the time.The US president is believed to be considering three paths: a large-scale military strike, a tightened economic blockade, or a diplomatic deal at the UN General Assembly. Trump is expected to meet the leaders of the six Gulf Cooperation Council states on the sidelines.The US State Department issued fresh security warnings for US citizens across the Middle East, urging Americans in Iran to leave immediately and warning of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures.Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran’s preconditions for peace remain in place, including lifting the US blockade on Iranian oil ports, returning frozen assets and removing sanctions on oil exports.Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, presenting Iran’s negotiating position in a parliamentary address on Sunday, said Tehran had no interest in a permanent war with Washington.The escalating statements followed Houthi strikes on Saturday on targets in and around the Saudi capital Riyadh and on Aramco facilities in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh at dawn. The Houthis claimed to have caused “massive fires” at Aramco facilities, but the Saudi-led coalition said the attacks on Yanbu, Taif, Bisha and Farasan were thwarted.Trump said in a Fox News interview that the US was “in constant contact with the Houthis” and that they had agreed not to go to war with Washington.DUBAI —Iran and the United States exchanged new threats on Monday, raising fears of a return to all-out hostilities in the Iran war ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.US President Donald Trump said Iran would fail economically or face its leadership being wiped out if it didn’t make a deal, and the Iranian military said it would retaliate harshly to any fresh attack.Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he was in “deciding mode” as he considers options including “wiping Iran out,” “letting them rot economically,” or trying again to strike a deal to end the war. He said he would “probably” be open to meeting his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week.A spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Monday threatened to respond to any new US assault with unspecified new weapons and an expansion of “the geography” of the nearly seven-month war.Earlier, Iran’s military central command said any new attack would trigger sustained retaliation against US bases and interests and that Washington’s regional allies would be considered parties to the conflict.The Iranian military added that it had information that an attack was being prepared, without elaborating on what that information might be.US embassies across the Middle East issued security alerts on Sunday as fighting between Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led international coalition backing the Yemeni government intensified. The embassies told US nationals to exercise caution and be prepared for travel disruptions, citing the “potential for unforeseen escalation” in the region.Iran’s IRGC warned on Monday that the war with the US is not yet over and that it has prepared for a “long-term war” with weapons that have not yet been used, spokesman Hossein Mohebi said.Mohebi said Iran had upgraded its weapons capabilities during and before the war, and described the unused systems as “strategic” and to be deployed if necessary.Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, in a joint statement with the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, claimed control of the Strait of Hormuz had passed to Iranian management and said its forces would not stand down.The Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters said separately that it had obtained intelligence indicating the US, with support from unnamed regional countries, was preparing to resume strikes on Iran following a joint meeting held in an unspecified European country.It said that in the event of a new US attack, “all of that country’s bases and interests in the region, without any restrictions or consideration, will be subjected to continuous, effective and painful attacks.” Iranian leaders have also warned that retaliatory action could target US naval forces in the Indian Ocean.Trump, who cut short his Camp David weekend and returned to the White House on Saturday evening without explanation, told Fox News he was weighing his options on Iran “if and when do I blow the entire nation up.”Trump has previously threatened to “wipe” Iran “off the face of this Earth,” sparking considerable backlash at the time.The US president is believed to be considering three paths: a large-scale military strike, a tightened economic blockade, or a diplomatic deal at the UN General Assembly. Trump is expected to meet the leaders of the six Gulf Cooperation Council states on the sidelines.The US State Department issued fresh security warnings for US citizens across the Middle East, urging Americans in Iran to leave immediately and warning of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures.Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran’s preconditions for peace remain in place, including lifting the US blockade on Iranian oil ports, returning frozen assets and removing sanctions on oil exports.Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, presenting Iran’s negotiating position in a parliamentary address on Sunday, said Tehran had no interest in a permanent war with Washington.The escalating statements followed Houthi strikes on Saturday on targets in and around the Saudi capital Riyadh and on Aramco facilities in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh at dawn. The Houthis claimed to have caused “massive fires” at Aramco facilities, but the Saudi-led coalition said the attacks on Yanbu, Taif, Bisha and Farasan were thwarted.Trump said in a Fox News interview that the US was “in constant contact with the Houthis” and that they had agreed not to go to war with Washington.
US, Iran trade fresh threats as fears of all-out war mount
