Iran Threatens New Weapons After U.S. Strikes on Qeshm Island
Iran warns of a broad military response and new weapons doctrine following U.S. defensive strikes on Qeshm Island and a naval buildup in the Arabian Sea.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated following U.S. defensive strikes on Qeshm Island, a strategic Iranian military base for missiles and drones in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Donald Trump has massed approximately 20 warships, including two carrier strike groups, in the Arabian Sea. While Trump stated the U.S. is getting everything it wants and has no immediate plans for further action, he warned that the military remains locked and loaded if necessary.
Iran has threatened to deploy new weapons and a new military doctrine if the U.S. increases its strikes. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that the U.S. cannot be trusted despite political shifts following the U.S. midterm elections, asserting that any inclination toward surrendering to the enemy would squander previous gains. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added that any further tests of Iranian resolve would result in a more bitter and severe outcome.
Regional diplomats at the Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain expressed fear that a renewed conflict is imminent, describing the current state as no war, no peace. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pressed the U.S. to finish off the Islamic Republic, other regional leaders are seeking a political offramp. Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty warned that a second round of fighting would be more destructive, while the Gulf Cooperation Council faces a 4.8% GDP contraction due to the instability.
