Iran warned on Wednesday that it could open “new fronts” against the United States and its allies after US President Donald Trump threatened further military action against Tehran and said Iran had only days left to reach an agreement with Washington.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Tehran was eager to negotiate after recent tensions and warned that the US could launch “another big hit” if diplomacy failed.
“We’re negotiating with Iran … you know how it is to negotiate with a country where you’re beating them badly, they come to the table, they’re begging to make a deal,” Trump said.
“I hope we don’t have to do the work, but we may have to give them another big hit. I’m not sure yet, but you’ll know very soon.”
Trump said Iran had only a short window to finalise a deal with Washington.
“I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something maybe early next week. A limited period of time,” he told reporters.
The US president also defended his stance amid domestic criticism, saying the conflict remained “very popular” and insisting he would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.
Trump further accused Iran of using the Strait of Hormuz as a “military weapon” for decades, arguing that the waterway was an international route and not under Tehran’s control.
He also claimed he had previously been “an hour away” from launching attacks on Iran before Gulf states urged restraint.
US Vice President JD Vance said Washington and Tehran had made significant progress in talks and that neither side wanted military escalation to resume.
On the Iranian side, army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia warned that any renewed attack by the US would trigger retaliation using “new equipment and new methods”.
“If the enemy is foolish enough to fall into the Zionist trap again and launches new aggression against our beloved Iran, we will open new fronts against it,” he said, according to Iranian media.
Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, also warned the US and its allies against making “another strategic mistake”, saying any aggression would face a “swift, decisive, powerful and extensive response”.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi outlined Tehran’s recent proposal to Washington, which reportedly included lifting sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian assets, ending the marine blockade and withdrawing US forces from areas near Iran.
The proposal also called for ending hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon, and compensation for war-related destruction.
Meanwhile, Qatar said Pakistan-led diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions required more time. Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari praised Pakistan’s mediation role and said ongoing negotiations showed seriousness from all sides.
The United Arab Emirates said its air defence systems had intercepted six drones over the past 48 hours targeting civilian and strategic sites. Emirati authorities said investigations showed the drones originated from Iraqi territory.
The statement followed an earlier drone strike on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, where one drone reportedly struck an electrical generator outside the facility’s inner perimeter.
Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported that the United States had seized an Iran-linked oil tanker named Skywave in the Indian Ocean. The vessel had reportedly been sanctioned earlier this year for transporting Iranian crude oil.
