Iran has issued fresh warning to the United States as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East. The Iranian Armed Forces’ general staff announced that the country will respond decisively to any threats, conspiracies or excessive demands. Even a single attack on Iran, he said, would trigger a powerful counterstrike aimed at erasing US presence in the region. Citizens have been urged to participate in rallies commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, highlighting national unity during the threat.

Iran’s warning also referenced Israel. Reacting to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to the United States, which was seen as a push for military measures against Iran before any diplomatic agreement could be considered, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei warned that external pressures undermining diplomacy would have consequences. He added that the United States must act independently, free from foreign influence, to avoid further regional harm.

Diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran have so far failed to ease tensions. Negotiations resumed in Oman, after talks collapsed in June, last year, following Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets. Subsequent US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites prompted Iran to target Israel and important US military bases across the Middle East.

The region now resembles a powder keg. The United States has deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, supported by three warships and a submarine. US forces have been reinforced across regional bases, with Patriot air defense systems and combat aircraft on high alert.

Iran has responded in kind, stationing large numbers of drones and missiles ready for immediate action. It has made it clear that any US attack will be met with a full-scale response. The Iranian foreign ministry warned that American military installations in the Middle East could be targeted.

The United States maintains bases in at least eight countries, from Qatar to the UAE and Oman.