Iran warns US against fresh strikes, vows 'proportionate response' amid rising regional tensions
Washington, DC: Iran has warned the United States against launching further military strikes, saying it would respond decisively to any new attacks, as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate.
The warning came a day after US President Donald Trump expressed frustration with negotiations with Tehran and threatened additional military action if necessary, saying the US would be "hitting them" again if required.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed Tehran's message during separate telephone conversations with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
According to a post on Araghchi's Telegram account, he told Pakistani and Turkish officials that Iran would respond firmly to any "aggression" while discussing what he described as destabilising US actions and the growing risk of regional instability.
During his call with the Saudi foreign minister, Araghchi said any attack by the United States or Israel, or any involvement by regional countries in such operations, would receive a "proportionate response" from Iran.
The warning came hours after Kuwait's military said it intercepted and destroyed hostile drones launched by Iran toward several strategic sites. Debris from the intercepted drones reportedly damaged a government building in northern Kuwait and civilian property on Bubiyan Island, though no injuries were reported.
Separately, a media outlet affiliated with Iran's top security body warned that any US strike on Iran's energy infrastructure would trigger retaliatory attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as gas fields in Qatar and Israel, claiming "all will be burned to ashes."
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, Trump said he still believed US negotiators, including Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, could secure an agreement with Iran. However, he said he was losing confidence in the talks and accused Tehran of repeatedly failing to honour its commitments.
The heightened tensions have continued to rattle global energy markets. Brent crude futures climbed 24 per cent in July, while concerns over security in the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted commercial shipping through one of the world's busiest oil transit routes.
Security concerns have also spread to the Red Sea after Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another critical corridor for global energy supplies.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Saturday it had received reports of two separate maritime incidents off the coast of Oman. One tanker suffered engine-room damage after being struck by an unidentified projectile, while another reported an explosion near the vessel but escaped without damage.