
Iran warned of a ban on US ships entering the Persian Gulf and hinted at plans to target communications cables.
AI-generated summary
The standoff between Iran and America continues in the Strait of Hormuz over military tensions and economic sanctions.
Iran has responded to US President Donald Trump's warning of another attack.
President Donald Trump said in Florida on Friday that America can launch a small 'epic fury' against Iran.
America had named its last military operation against Iran as 'Epic Fury'. But, Iran has given a counter warning against this warning of Trump.
According to the Persian service of the BBC, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Army Ali Abdullahi has said that American ships will not be allowed to enter the Persian Gulf again.
Abdullahi said, "The US President must dream that his army will once again enter the Persian Gulf, but he will take this dream with him to his grave forever."
He said, "We will not allow American military ships to enter the Persian Gulf under any circumstances."
Yesterday, the commander of the IRGC Navy said, "The Americans have moved 600 to 700 kilometers away from the Strait of Hormuz."
These statements come at a time when Donald Trump has accused Iran of trying to boost oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections by "fabricating fake news" about mine explosions and attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US President says that more oil is now passing through the Strait of Hormuz than before the war, and that is why Iran is doing everything possible to increase oil prices.
Meanwhile, Iran is planning to target undersea communications cables in the Persian Gulf.
Two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters news agency that Tehran has prepared a detailed plan to target undersea communication cables in the Persian Gulf.
Iran says that it can be implemented in case America and Israel are attacked again.
Two officials gave information about this on the condition of anonymity.
But both of them did not give any information about where and how the attacks would be carried out. But one of them said Iran could also take steps to prevent repairs to damaged cables, which could cause problems in other communications, including the Internet.
An official warned that if Iran is attacked again, any limit can be crossed. In these, targets can range from undersea cables to military bases (including secret bases).
Earlier, when Trump was asked whether he was going to attack Iran this weekend, he had said that he was not aware of any such case.
Actually, this question was asked to him regarding a comment by US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barack.
When he was asked in an interview whether America would attack Iran again, he said, "It is definitely possible."
Responding to a reporter's question about the US ambassador's comments, Trump said, "He's my ambassador? Obviously he is a very powerful person. Well, if that's the case then I don't know about it."
Trump's comments came after his speech in Florida on Friday, in which he once again raised the possibility of new military operations against Iran.
Meanwhile, Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Governor Abdulnasser Hemmati said in a post on his Telegram channel that he had given a televised interview to Bloomberg during the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank last week.
According to Tehran Times, he said, "America had tried to isolate Iran economically and increase pressure on it." America had predicted that Iran's economy would collapse within two weeks. But despite huge economic pressure on the people of Iran, America failed to achieve its main objective. He called this estimate an illusion.
Regarding foreign exchange earnings, he said that Iran is still earning from oil exports and arrangements have been made to continue its supply in future also.
When asked about the foreign exchange reserves of the central bank, Hemmati said that its condition is good.
According to him, this reserve will be sufficient to finance imports till the end of Trump's presidency and even after that.
Hemmati also discussed measures to compensate for the decline in purchasing power of families.
Five Italian women activists detained by Israeli police in Kiryat Arba while supporting Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest have been released and repatriated to Italy following diplomatic intervention by the Italian foreign ministry.
US and Israeli military movements, including the deployment of additional naval assets, have fueled concerns of renewed strikes on Iran. Officials warn of potential escalation before US and Israeli elections, despite White House denials of imminent action.
Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Sanaa killed 11 civilians, including women and a child, following Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities Taif and Yanbu. The US has ordered non-essential embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia amid the regional escalation.
Former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad claims Pakistan is recruiting Afghans to fight insurgents, a move he warns will worsen regional ties. Pakistan's information ministry denied the allegations as baseless, while border clashes continue in the Kurram district.
China's commerce ministry has demanded the US cease expanding investment restrictions on sensitive technologies, warning of negative impacts on bilateral trade and potential countermeasures if the US Treasury's new proposals are enacted.
The US is reducing embassy staff in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, and the UAE after intelligence warnings that Iran has advanced lethal plots against American personnel overseas.