Iran Warns of Wider War as U.S. Weighs Next Steps and Regional Tensions Escalate
Tehran warns any new U.S. assault will expand the geography of the war with new weapons, while President Trump weighs multiple options and regional fighting intensifies.
As the nearly seven-month conflict between the United States and Iran continues to send shockwaves across the Middle East, a spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a stern warning on Sunday. According to reports cited by CBS News, Tehran stated that any new American aggression would be met with unspecified new weapons and an expansion of the conflict's overall geography.
President Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he is currently in "deciding mode" regarding his next steps. The president outlined several options under consideration, including trying to broker a new deal to end the conflict, letting Iran rot economically, or taking more drastic military measures such as "wiping Iran out." Furthermore, Trump indicated he would "probably" be open to meeting with his Iranian counterpart, President Masoud Pezeshkian, on the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The broader regional fallout has prompted widespread diplomatic and security responses. U.S. embassies across the Middle East issued security alerts on Sunday, urging American nationals to exercise heightened caution and prepare for potential travel disruptions due to the risk of unforeseen regional escalation. Meanwhile, financial markets reacted to potential diplomatic openings, with Wall Street stocks rising early Monday and oil prices retreating as investors weighed the possibility of high-level talks in New York.
In Yemen, conflict involving the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-backed coalition has intensified dramatically. The leader of the Houthi movement, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, lashed out at Saudi Arabia in a pre-recorded speech aired Monday, demanding an end to Saudi military actions and the nearly decade-long blockade on rebel-held areas. The speech coincided with a meeting between the Houthi negotiating team and United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg in Oman's capital, Muscat, where the delegation outlined their demands.
The International Organization for Migration reported that the escalating violence in Yemen has displaced nearly 130,000 people across seven regions, with the figures surging rapidly in recent days. Concurrently, a source in the office of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council told AFP that the head of the council recently called President Trump to request American support against the Houthis. Sources familiar with the discussions told CBS News that President Trump weighed striking the Houthi movement over the weekend following requests from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, but ultimately decided late Saturday night to hold off on immediate military action to avoid expanding the battlefield.
Maritime security incidents have also persisted in vital regional waterways. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported that two tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, with one vessel hit by an unknown projectile, resulting in minor injuries to two crew members, and another tanker struck by debris. Maritime security firms identified one of the affected vessels as a U.K.-flagged tanker that was targeted by a drone while sailing toward the Gulf.
In the aviation sector, Iraq decided to suspend flights operated by Iranian airlines following warnings from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Bessent warned that global aviation and service providers face severe penalties under American sanctions if they service sanctioned Iranian carriers. Two Iraqi government sources confirmed to AFP that Baghdad would enforce the ban starting Tuesday morning to comply with the U.S. Treasury directives.
Background details emerging from the early days of the conflict also highlight the unexpected severity of initial hostilities. According to multiple military families and U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News, Iran's opening-day missile and drone attacks targeting the U.S. Navy's Middle East headquarters in Bahrain caught authorities by surprise. The scale and consistent duration of the bombardment forced military families residing off-base to shelter through days of incoming strikes before they could be safely evacuated.