Iran warns US against resuming military operations as Trump threatens wipeout

Iran warns the US against renewed military action

Iran said it has received indications that the United States is preparing to resume military operations against it. Tehran did not give evidence for the assessment. It warned that any American attack would trigger retaliation.

The warning came as President Donald Trump told Fox News that Iran's leaders should make a deal, rot economically or be wiped out. Trump has threatened severe action against Iran before, but the remarks landed during a period of heightened tension across the Middle East.

The US State Department warned that fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis could escalate rapidly. The warning followed a missile attack on Riyadh, the first since the Yemen conflict resumed. The Houthis said Saudi Arabia had carried out 28 strikes against them in the last 24 hours.

The exchanges followed fast Houthi advances in south-west Yemen. The group took the strategic port of Mokha, strengthening its ability to pressure the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Houthi leaders sought to reassure Washington that they would not close the waterway and would only target Saudi assets. A Houthi message said: 'We confirm that we will not target America or any other country in the strait, with the sole exception of the Saudi enemy.'

New data showed the damage to Iran's economy since the war began. The Statistical Center of Iran said gross domestic product, or GDP, fell by 10.1 per cent compared with the same period last year, amid international sanctions.

Analysts are split on whether economic pressure can force Tehran to negotiate. Emily Harding, a former director for Iran on the National Security Council, said the regime's priority is survival, not the wider population's economic welfare. A 10 per cent hit to GDP is big, she said, but not unsurvivable. She added that Russia has withstood similar pressure.

Harding said Trump's approach is to raise pressure and push an opponent towards talks. She said he could choose kinetic attacks, more economic measures, or a negotiated solution. If Iran re-engages militarily, it could keep targeting US bases and allies, and it could activate proxy groups. But she said its proxy network has been weakened. Israel has hit Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia is fighting the Houthis in Yemen. The Houthis are the least likely to follow Iranian orders, she said, though they remain a tool for Tehran.

The Pentagon's inspector general has reported shortfalls in US munitions. Harding said the problem is sharper for defensive weapons. Patriot interceptors are costly against cheap drones, so the maths does not work. On offence, the US has used high-end precision munitions, but Iran's air defences are largely gone, leaving the US able to rule the skies and use less sophisticated bombs. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked Washington to strike the Houthis, but Washington has so far declined.