IRGC forces rally in Tehran over the summer. (AP)
Iran warned Monday that the “geography” of the nearly seven-month-old war could expand if the United States launches another assault, as President Donald Trump weighs whether to intensify military action, pursue economic pressure or seek another diplomatic agreement with Tehran.
“If a new aggression occurs, we will certainly change the weaponry and the geography of the war,” Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.
CBS News reported that Mohebbi also said the IRGC was prepared for a prolonged conflict and was “more prepared than before.”
The warning came as Trump said he is in “deciding mode” on Iran and is considering several options after months of fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran.
In an interview with Fox News reporter Trey Yingst, Trump said his choices include “wiping Iran out,” allowing the country to “rot economically” or negotiating a deal, according to CBS News.
“My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave,” Trump told Yingst, CBS reported.
Trump also said he would “probably” be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York this week during the United Nations General Assembly.
The possibility of a Trump-Pezeshkian meeting comes as the two countries remain locked in a conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28 and has disrupted energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters.
Iran has meanwhile conveyed conditions to Washington through mediators for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has participated in negotiations aimed at ending the war.
Ghalibaf said Iran would not reopen the strategic waterway unless its conditions were met and U.S. commitments were honored, CBS News reported.
The dispute over the strait remains a central issue in the conflict because of its importance to global oil and gas shipments.
Oil prices fell more than 3% Monday as markets reacted to signs of possible diplomatic progress and some improvement in tanker traffic through the strait, CBS News reported.
At the same time, a tanker traveling through the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified projectile Monday, with two crew members reportedly suffering minor injuries, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident, CBS News reported.
The escalating rhetoric also comes as U.S. diplomatic facilities across the Middle East issued security alerts warning Americans of the potential for unforeseen escalation in the region, according to CBS News.
The warnings followed an intensification of fighting involving Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia.
Nearly 130,000 people have been displaced in Yemen as the conflict has worsened, according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration, CBS News reported Monday.
The diplomatic calendar could provide an opening for direct contact between Washington and Tehran.
The 81st U.N. General Assembly’s high-level general debate begins Tuesday, Sept. 22, in New York and continues through Sept. 28, according to the United Nations.
Pezeshkian is expected to travel to New York for the gathering and is scheduled to address the General Assembly Wednesday.
CNN reported Monday that Pezeshkian’s appearance comes as Iran seeks to present its position on the war to the international community while Washington weighs its next move.
The Trump administration had agreed to allow a core Iranian delegation, including Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to attend the U.N. meetings despite the war, with the State Department citing the United States’ obligations as host country, Reuters reported.
CBS News reported Monday that the United States has denied visas to members of Pezeshkian’s communications team, while the Iranian president himself remains expected to attend.
Trump’s comments about a possible meeting with Pezeshkian therefore come as both leaders are preparing to appear in the same city while their governments remain engaged in military conflict and intermittent diplomatic contacts.
For now, Tehran is warning of a broader war while Trump says he is weighing what he described as major decisions on whether to escalate military pressure, pursue economic measures or return to negotiations.
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