US President Donald Trump has hinted at further military action against Iran, saying Washington may intensify its campaign soon as diplomatic efforts remain deadlocked and tensions over the Strait of Hormuz continue to rise.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has responded with threats of wider retaliation, warning that continued US naval escorts through the strait could trigger strikes on American bases across the Middle East.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday before departing for Iowa, Trump said previous US presidents should have dealt with Iran’s nuclear ambitions long ago.
“This should have been done a long time ago by other presidents. The Iran war — and we’ve knocked the hell out of them, and we may do it a little bit further,” he said.
Trump suggested that additional action could come soon, while ruling out ongoing negotiations with Tehran.
“No, I think we’re not negotiating with — we are going to have something one way or the other. It’ll happen fairly soon,” he told reporters.
The US president did not identify potential targets or specify the timing or scale of any additional military operation. He repeatedly framed the campaign as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Speaking at an election rally in Iowa, Trump said he did not care how the conflict ended but was certain it would end “very soon”.
He acknowledged that the war had come at a cost but said he had understood the consequences before taking action. Trump also argued that while some people might oppose the conflict, many patriotic Americans supported his decision.
“We can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said, adding that the confrontation was one previous administrations should have addressed much earlier.
Trump further claimed that Iran had suffered a crushing defeat and warned that the United States might take its military campaign further.
Trump accuses Iran of manipulating oil prices
In a social media post, Trump accused Iran of trying to drive up oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections.
He alleged that Tehran was fabricating reports about attacks and the use of naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz to influence energy markets. The allegations were not independently substantiated in the provided report.
The dispute comes as the strategic waterway remains a major flashpoint between Washington and Tehran, with the United States escorting vessels through the region and Iran threatening to retaliate against what it considers unauthorised passage.
IRGC threatens strikes on American bases
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that continued US naval escorts through what it described as “mined waterways” could trigger direct attacks on American military bases across the Middle East.
The Guards also claimed that three additional vessels had struck mines west of the Strait of Hormuz. The claims have not been independently verified.
IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebi told Iranian state media that the force had activated its “decentralised mosaic defence” doctrine, which he said would allow Iran to respond differently if Washington resumed the war.
According to Mohebi, Iran would no longer limit itself to proportional retaliation but would take the initiative and launch attacks. He described the strategy as an “offensive and asymmetrical” defence posture.
Mohebi also threatened to invade any country that attacked Iran. Iranian officials have separately warned that US bases and critical infrastructure across the Gulf could become targets if neighbouring countries assisted another American or Israeli military operation.
The threats raise the prospect of a wider regional confrontation involving military installations, energy facilities and other strategic assets.
Rezaei sets out Iran’s conditions for reopening Hormuz
Major General Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has said reopening the Strait of Hormuz remains possible but depends on the implementation of new conditions presented by Tehran through mediators.
“We will not return to the previous approach to diplomacy, but neither will we abandon diplomacy,” Rezaei said, according to the Tehran Times.
He added that Iran had submitted seven new conditions and would neither reopen the strait nor resume negotiations until those conditions were implemented.
Rezaei said Iran wanted guarantees built into the structure of any agreement, rather than relying on the political goodwill of the other side.
Under the approach he outlined, commitments would have to be fulfilled before Iran decided whether to reopen the waterway. Shipping would then resume under new arrangements agreed upon with Oman.
“We are no longer interested in an agreement whose only guarantee is the other side’s political goodwill,” he said.
Rezaei maintained that Iran would not surrender the leverage it had gained through its control of the strait before receiving assurances that commitments would be honoured.
“If Washington fulfills its commitments, there will be a path toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz and continuing diplomacy,” he said, adding that Iran would not relinquish its leverage only to wait for promises to be fulfilled.
Araghchi says Iran remains open to diplomacy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran remains open to diplomacy, but only if Washington demonstrates a sincere willingness to rebuild trust.
Araghchi warned that choosing military confrontation instead would result in what he described as an “even greater strategic failure”.
Iran has sought to disrupt shipping through the region, while the United States has imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports and vessels, further complicating efforts to reach a settlement.
The diplomatic deadlock persists despite mediation efforts, with Iran insisting that its conditions and guarantees must be addressed before negotiations can resume.
US blockade and regional tensions add to uncertainty
The confrontation is unfolding as the US naval blockade of Iranian ports has passed 100 days, according to the supplied report. US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said the blockade has prevented at least $25 billion in Iranian oil exports.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also shared satellite images that reportedly show Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal, without tankers.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported explosions in Hormozgan province near the Strait of Hormuz on October 22. Oil prices rose as regional flight schedules faced disruptions amid the escalating tensions.
Trump’s remarks also followed reports that Israel had flown dozens of fighter aircraft near Iran’s western border in a large-scale show of force. The reported activity, combined with the IRGC’s shift towards what it calls an offensive and asymmetrical defence posture, has fuelled concerns about renewed hostilities.
Netanyahu calls for regime change
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for regime change in Tehran days before Israel’s October 27 election, according to the supplied report.
At the same time, Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia have continued, drawing condemnation from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The parallel developments underscore the risk that renewed US-Iran hostilities could spread beyond the immediate confrontation, potentially drawing in other regional actors and threatening shipping routes, Gulf energy infrastructure and American military installations.
With Washington signalling that further action could come soon and Tehran refusing to abandon its strategic leverage over Hormuz, the prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough remain uncertain.
