US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that the United States may strike Iran again — a day after he said he had held off a major assault in hopes of a peace deal — but Tehran’s army threatened to open “new fronts” if he went ahead.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he had been just “an hour away” from relaunching Washington’s attacks on Iran before postponing the order, after weeks of a fragile ceasefire and talks to end the war, which began on February 28.
“You know how it is to negotiate with a country where you’re beating them badly. They come to the table, they’re begging to make a deal,” he said. “I hope we don’t have to do the war, but we may have to give them another big hit. I’m not sure yet.”
Iran’s army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia warned the Islamic republic would “open new fronts against” the United States if it resumed its attacks.
He added that Iran’s military had used the ceasefire as an opportunity “to strengthen its combat capabilities.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said early Wednesday that Iranian forces are confirmed to be the first to down an American F-35 fighter jet, citing a US congressional report on aircraft combat losses.
“With lessons learned and knowledge we gained, return to war will feature many more surprises,” Araghchi wrote on X.
Trump offered a deadline of several days for resuming strikes if a deal was not agreed.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, rattled by a drone attack on its Barakah nuclear power plant last week, said Tuesday that the attack originated from Iraqi territory, where Iran backs groups accused of launching attacks on Gulf nations in the war.
The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned the attack. Russia, which often defends Iran, joined the other members. “Attacks targeting peaceful nuclear facilities in any country of the world…are categorically unacceptable,” said Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzya.
This came a day after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that fiber optic internet cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz could be subject to a permit system.
In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed 19 people in the south of the country on Tuesday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, while Hezbollah said it was engaged in clashes with Israeli forces despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. (AFP)
