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Iran threatens 'war beyond the region' if US launches further strikes

Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States may need to hit Iran again.

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Representatives from more than a dozen foreign diplomatic missions, United Nations offices, and the media view damage at sites previously targeted by US-Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran
Representatives from more than a dozen foreign diplomatic missions, United Nations offices, and the media view damage at sites previously targeted by US-Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran. Picture: Getty

By Ella Bennett

Iran's Revolutionary Guard has threatened "war beyond the region" if the US launches further strikes.

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The Iranian military force said it was responding to threats by Donald Trump and JD Vance, and warned that they may resume military strikes if a peace deal is not agreed.

The IRGC said in a statement: "We have not yet deployed all the capacities of the Islamic Revolution against them.

"But now, if aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will this time extend beyond the region, and our crushing blows in places you do not expect will bring you to utter ruin."

The comments come days after more threats from President Trump, who said he will hold off launching a planned attack against Iran at the request of Gulf allies, but warned he could launch a "full, large-scale assault" at a "moment's notice".

He warned Iran over the weekend that “the clock is ticking” on making a deal and had better act quickly, or there won’t be anything left of them”.

Read more: 'Old friends' Xi and Putin to meet in Beijing 'for tea' after Trump visit

Read more: Trump delays planned Iran attacks but warns of 'full, large-scale assault' if no deal reached

Vice-President Vance said on Tuesday that the United States and Iran have made a lot of progress in their talks, and neither side wants to see a resumption of the military campaign.

"We think that we've made a lot of progress. We think the Iranians want to make a deal," Mr Vance told reporters at a White House briefing.

Mr Vance said he had just spoken to President Trump, who stressed that the core issue for the US is that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.

If that happens, Mr Vance said, countries around the Gulf would then want their own weapon, and then other countries across the world would as well.

"We want to keep the number of countries that have nuclear weapons small, and that's why Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," he said.

The United States wants Iran to work with Washington on a process to ensure that the Iranians would not rebuild their nuclear weapons capacity in the years to come.

"That's what we're trying to accomplish in negotiations," he said.

The Iranian military force said it was responding to threats by Donald Trump and JD Vance, and warned that they may resume military strikes if a peace deal is not agreed.
The Iranian military force said it was responding to threats by Donald Trump and JD Vance, and warned that they may resume military strikes if a peace deal is not agreed. Picture: Getty

Mr Trump is under pressure to reach an accord that would reopen the Strait of ​Hormuz - a key route for global supplies of oil and other commodities.

On Tuesday, the RAC said the average price of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts stands at 158.5p, which is the most expensive it has been since December 2022.

Following the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East on February 28, the price had previously peaked at 158.3p on April 15.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams earlier this week described the recent rise as “bad news for drivers ahead of the bank holiday” and warned prices are set to become even more expensive.”