New Delhi: The United States president, Donald Trump, has signalled that the US could carry out fresh strikes on Iran. At a political rally in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday, he said Washington may launch another round of attacks unless Tehran agrees to a deal. The warning comes amid reports of preparations for fresh US-Israeli strikes, rising concerns over Iranian threats to American personnel and disputes over oil supplies before the November 3 US midterm elections.
“We may do another little Epic Fury, or they’ll agree,” Trump said. Referring to Iran, he added, “If they’re smart, they’ll just say, let’s get down to business.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump also accused Tehran of trying to push global oil prices higher before the elections by fabricating reports of attacks and disruptions to energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. He said more oil was passing through the strait than before the conflict began, without providing evidence.
Oil prices remain a political concern for Trump before the midterms. Reuters reported on Friday that the first shipment of Russian diesel under an arrangement Trump announced with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was initially listed as heading towards New York. The tanker, carrying 40,000 metric tonnes of diesel, was estimated to arrive on November 7, after the elections. The arrangement was announced as part of efforts to ease rising fuel prices.
US intelligence warns of advanced Iranian plots
US intelligence has warned that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target American personnel, with lethal plots against US citizens reaching advanced stages.
According to a memo released on Friday, the director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton, warned the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, that Iran has “substantially increased” efforts to target US personnel, with lethal plots against American citizens reaching “advanced stages” in the Middle East and certain other countries. Clayton said the intelligence was relevant to more personnel than were currently cleared to receive it and offered to downgrade sensitive information so Rubio could share it more widely with state department staff.
Iran warns of retaliation against US-linked AI facilities and undersea cables
Iran has separately warned that a fresh attack could trigger retaliation against American-linked artificial intelligence facilities, data centres and undersea communication cables across the Persian Gulf.
As RNA Media previously reported, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, Major General Mohsen Rezaei, said Tehran had not yet designated these facilities as targets but warned they could be destroyed if Washington launched another attack. He described the infrastructure as a major component of America’s economic and military presence in West Asia and put the value of the assets at more than $2tn.
US technology companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Oracle, operate cloud and digital infrastructure across Gulf countries. An attack on data centres or submarine fibre-optic cables passing through the region could disrupt digital services and connectivity, although the extent of any impact would depend on the facilities affected and the availability of alternative routes.
Iranian defence and military officials have also warned of a broader response to any new US military action. Iran’s new defence minister, Major General Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, said Tehran had taken steps to prepare for a possible attack, warning that Iran’s response would be extensive.
The warnings follow reports that Washington and Israel are preparing options for renewed strikes after the US midterm elections on November 3 and Israel’s October 27 election. Pickaxe Mountain, where nuclear-related facilities are believed to be buried deep underground, has been mentioned as a potential target in reports about military planning. But no publicly confirmed decision to launch fresh strikes has emerged.