Iran Warns of ‘Offensive and Destructive’ Phase if US Strikes Continue

Tehran, July 2026 : Iran has issued a fresh warning to the United States, saying it is prepared to significantly escalate the ongoing conflict if American military operations continue for the next few days. A senior military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader said Tehran’s strategy of limited retaliation is nearing an end and cautioned that US military assets across the region would face intensified attacks.

Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said in an interview with state-run IRIB television that Iran has so far exercised restraint to prevent the conflict from expanding into a wider regional war. However, he warned that if US strikes continue for another two to three days, Iran will enter what he described as an “offensive and destructive” phase.

According to Rezaei, Iran’s policy of pursuing both military action and diplomatic negotiations has now come to an end. He asserted that if the conflict escalates further, Iranian armed forces would no longer limit themselves to retaliatory operations, and American military bases and personnel would no longer be safe regardless of political boundaries in the region.

He accused Washington of miscalculating the consequences of its military campaign, claiming that the United States had transformed a bilateral confrontation into a broader regional conflict. Rezaei added that Iran possesses additional military capabilities that have not yet been deployed, including ground forces, and indicated that these could be used if hostilities continue.

The senior adviser also appealed to the people of neighbouring countries, including Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, urging them to help prevent further escalation and avoid the spread of conflict across the Middle East.

Rezaei maintained that Iran’s military response to recent US attacks has already been “very heavy” but warned that future operations would be far more intense. He said the United States should expect expanded waves of missile and drone strikes if it persists with military action against Iran, while also cautioning Washington against launching any ground offensive.

Meanwhile, tensions in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz continue to rise. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian forces intercepted and targeted a Thai-flagged vessel that allegedly attempted to transit the waterway without obtaining the required clearance from the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iranian officials claimed the vessel ignored repeated warnings before action was taken.

The latest developments come after several days of US airstrikes targeting Iran’s southern provinces. Washington has said the operations are intended to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz following attacks on vessels in the region.

In response, Iran has launched multiple waves of missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases and facilities across the Middle East, further heightening fears of a wider regional conflict. Diplomatic efforts to contain the crisis remain under severe strain as both sides continue to exchange military strikes.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)