ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Monday that it would expand the geographical scope of the conflict and deploy previously unused strategic weapons if the United States resumes attacks on the country.
"If a new attack takes place, there will definitely be significant changes in our defense and our counterattack," IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohabi was cited as saying by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency.
Mohabi said the IRGC views the United States as having already “lost this war” but unwilling to acknowledge it.
He said Iranian forces could deploy previously unused weapons against strategic targets that have not yet been struck, suggesting that the scope and nature of Tehran's response would change in the event of renewed US attacks.
“We did not use some of them during the phases of the war that we have gone through. They are, in fact, our strategic weapons, and they will be used when necessary. And the world will see what happens,” said Mohabi.
Iran's General Staff of the Armed Forces and Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters separately said on Monday that the armed forces "will not back down against the enemy," vowing that the US, Israel and their allies will "taste the bitter flavor of further defeats."
The warnings come amid renewed uncertainty over Washington's next steps in the conflict.
US President Donald Trump said over the weekend that he was in a “deciding mode” over Iran, outlining options ranging from further military action and economic pressure to negotiations.
“My question is if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave,” Trump said, adding he was open to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is set to participate in the annual UN General Assembly. Trump did not provide a timeline for a decision.
Tehran has meanwhile warned that any renewed US attack would trigger retaliation against American bases and interests in the region and that countries assisting such an operation could be considered parties to the conflict.
Regional tensions have remained high since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February, prompting Iranian retaliation and severely disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.
