Iran has threatened to expand the war beyond the Middle East in the event of new U.S. attacks

Iran warned it would retaliate outside the Middle East if the US or Israel resumed attacks against it, following further threats from US President Donald Trump, Bloomberg writes.

Trump said late Tuesday night, Ma. 19, that he may order a new series of strikes on Iran in the coming days in an effort to force Tehran to make concessions on its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

"I hope we don't have to fight a war, but we may have to hit them hard again," Trump said. Asked how long he would wait, the US president said: "Two or three days, probably Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Probably something early next week."

"If aggression against Iran is repeated, the regional war that has been promised will go beyond the region this time," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Ma 20 (quoted by Tasnim News Agency). The IRGC, which has gained even more influence over decision-making in Iran since the war began in late February, promised "crushing strikes in places" where no one expects, Bloomberg reported.

The cost of July futures for Mark WTI crude oil fell by 0.8% to $107.8 per barrel. July contracts for the benchmark Mark Brent fell by 2.4% and are trading above $108 per barrel. The cost of oil is now about 80% higher than it was last year.

Since the war in the Middle East began, Iran has attacked several countries with drones and missiles. In addition to Israel and the Gulf Arab states, this has included Turkey and Cyprus. Although Tehran's military was hit hard by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes before a truce was agreed upon on April 8, Iran still retains the ability to attack other countries, Bloomberg notes.

Iran has so far rejected Trump's demands to give up its highly enriched uranium or pledge never to process the radioactive material again. Tehran insists on enriching uranium for nuclear power, while Washington fears the country wants to build an atomic bomb - something Iranian leaders have always denied, the agency notes.

The dual maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz also remains a key point of contention. Tehran demands that the U.S. lift the blockade on Iranian ports before resuming the movement of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, including oil tankers and liquefied natural gas carriers.

"Nearly three months into the war, Donald Trump's goals appear to remain a long way off, while Iran emerges from the conflict weakened but more confident in its position and with new influence on the world stage," said Bloomberg Economics analysts Dina Esfandiari, Becca Wasser and Ziad Daoud.

The risk of further escalation remains, they said, as the sides remain too far away from a deal, but continued fighting is unlikely to lead to a strategic breakthrough.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor