Iran's new supreme leader and army warn fresh US or Israeli strikes would widen war

Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and its army have warned that any fresh attack by the United States or Israel would be met with a response not limited by geography, as Washington and Tehran trade signals over a possible return to fighting.

The warning came in a statement posted on Khamenei's website on Saturday, after a reported meeting with senior commanders: armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi, army chief Amir Hatami and Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi. It was the first reported gathering between the new leader and the top brass.

According to the statement, Khamenei told them that any threat, at any level, must be answered swiftly and forcefully, and that Iran's armed forces and its people would decide when and how any conflict ends. He also asked commanders to update their list of targets to cover what the statement called the assets of the American-Zionist enemy.

Khamenei has not been seen in public since becoming supreme leader, after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli strikes at the start of the war in February.

Why this matters beyond the Middle East

Most of the recent fighting has centred on the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf route that normally carries about a fifth of the world's oil. Iran has blockaded the strait since the war began, and the US has blockaded Iranian ports in return. The disruption has pushed up global energy prices, and that cost is felt far beyond the region, including in Nigeria, which imports most of its petrol.

Iranian state television reported on Saturday that a ship crossing the strait hit a mine and caught fire. The Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that three oil tankers had been stopped after unspecified incidents or after striking mines.

Iran's army spokesman, Mohammad Akraminia, said in a post on X that if the US president again took what he called regional adventurism, the fighting would spread over a much wider area. He did not give details. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also warned on X that Iran's armed forces would deal with anyone who harmed its people.

US President Donald Trump has threatened new strikes after Tuesday's midterm elections, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Washington could achieve military objectives if it chose to. Rubio, speaking at a G20 news conference in Atlanta, also said Trump had not yet decided on any new attack. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken of a chance to topple Iran's government. Israeli voters went to the polls last Tuesday, but a new government has not been formed.

Diplomacy is still moving. A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday, and Qatar and Pakistan have been mediating without reaching a lasting agreement. US Vice President JD Vance reportedly sent a letter to Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, at Trump's direction. Araghchi confirmed Iran received it and called the US effort to open a dialogue a positive step, but said there are currently no plans to meet American officials.

What happens next: Washington votes on Tuesday and Israel is still forming a government. Both outcomes could shape whether talks continue or strikes resume.