DUBAI | Iran has warned that any renewed U.S. military action would trigger sustained retaliation against American bases and interests across the Middle East, while Tehran said the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until its conditions for reopening are met.
Iran’s central military command said Sunday that it had received information indicating the United States, with support from some regional countries, was preparing to resume military action against Iran. The command said any new U.S. attack would bring continued strikes against American targets and warned that regional countries supporting such action could be treated as parties to the conflict. The claims could not be independently verified.
The warning came as tensions continued to rise across the region following attacks involving Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have claimed attacks on targets in Riyadh and on an oil facility in the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu, while Saudi authorities and a Saudi-led coalition have reported intercepting attacks against the kingdom.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf separately said Tehran would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are fulfilled and U.S. commitments are implemented, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency. He said Iran would continue both military action and diplomacy, with negotiations intended to consolidate what Tehran considers gains from the conflict.
The United States has also issued warnings about the potential for further escalation. The U.S. State Department said Saturday that Americans in the region should exercise increased caution because of the possibility of unforeseen developments, including flight cancellations and airspace closures.
The status of Hormuz remains particularly significant because the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said oil flows through the strait averaged about 20 million barrels a day in 2024, equivalent to roughly one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption. About one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade also passed through Hormuz that year, primarily from Qatar.
Shipping through the waterway has already fallen sharply. Reuters reported that only three commercial vessels transited Hormuz on September 16, compared with 12 the previous day and a 10-day average of about 17, based on preliminary tracking data. The decline came amid intensified fighting and growing attacks involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
The current crisis follows months of disruption in the waterway. In June, the United States and Iran reached a memorandum of understanding that led to increased shipping through Hormuz, prompting the U.S. Energy Information Administration to forecast a recovery in global oil production and trade. The arrangement later broke down, with renewed fighting and restrictions again disrupting energy shipments.
Hormuz has long been central to Persian Gulf security. During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf became known as the “Tanker War,” prompting international naval deployments to protect commercial shipping. The waterway has remained a recurring flashpoint in subsequent confrontations between Iran and the United States.
With Iran now warning of further retaliation and refusing to reopen Hormuz until its demands are met, the confrontation carries consequences beyond the battlefield. Continued disruption could affect oil and gas supplies, shipping costs and energy prices in markets far beyond the Middle East.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
