Iran Vows Continued Strikes as US Threatens Oil Hubs

The conflict between the United States and Iran has entered its fifth month, with Mohammad-Bagher Zolghadr, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, announcing that Iranian forces will continue missile and drone strikes against U.S. military, security, and financial centers until the enemy's total surrender. Iranian officials frame these operations as retribution for U.S.-Israeli attacks on civilians, specifically citing a massacre of 168 schoolchildren at a girls' school in Minab.

U.S. forces recently conducted air raids on Iranian infrastructure for 13 consecutive nights. President Donald Trump has threatened further military punishment, including potential strikes on energy plants and the Kharg Island oil hub, though he suggested a diplomatic deal remains possible.

The war has resulted in over 3,400 deaths in Iran and thousands more in Lebanon, while disrupting maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. While Zolghadr maintains a military stance, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called for dialogue, stating there is no military solution to regional issues. Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused the European Union of hypocrisy regarding its human rights claims and military support for attacks on Iran.