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| Picture by A Jazeera |
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have warned that the US military will face a severe and “firm response” if Washington repeats strikes after a US attack on southern Iran, saying any renewed action will be met with retaliation.
Thia is against the background dealing that yhe United States and Iran have reached a 60-day framework agreement to extend the ceasefire and begin negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
The deal according to a source, still requires final approval from President Donald Trump, Axios reported on Thursday citing two US officials.
The commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Tehran said Iran’s armed forces were at “peak readiness” and had launched new military drills immediately after fighting stopped.
“The mechanisms are designed in a way that allows a response to any enemy action in the shortest possible time,” Hassan Hassanzadeh said on Thursday.
Hassanzadeh also said attacks on Basij centers during the conflict had failed to weaken support for the paramilitary force.
"The president conveyed a message to the mediators that he wants a few days to think about it before making a final decision," a senior US official said.
Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had accused the US and Israel of trying to create internal division within Iran to make up for its “military defeats”.
Tehran accused the U.S. of another ceasefire violation and said it retaliated by targeting an American base after a second round of what the Pentagon calls "purely defensive" strikes against drone operations. CENTCOM said Kuwait intercepted an incoming Iranian missile, and there were no reports of a U.S. base being hit.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in an escalation to mount pressure on Tehran on Thursday said in a post on X that the US will shut down Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refuelling and ticket sales.
Bessent opined that the Treasury Department is crippling Iran’s economy, with unpaid troops, police absenteeism, a collapsing currency, and sanctions now targeting Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority and key transportation sectors.
In a warning to Oman, Bessent said the US will not tolerate any effort to impose a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz. Oman, in particular, should know that the US Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved - directly or indirectly - in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized.
Yesterday, President Trump threatened to "blow up" Oman if they do not "behave just like everybody else."
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