Iran’s top negotiator has warned of “a faster, heavier, and more painful response” to US attacks, as hostilities between the two sides escalate. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Americans must understand “before it is too late” that the “rules of the game have changed”, according to a translation of his comments on state media. His comments come nearly a week into renewed fighting between Iran and the US, and a day after Washington said it struck Iranian oil tankers in response to Tehran attacking American warships in the region’s waters. The BBC has contacted US Central Command (Centcom) for comment.
Iranian state media also reported on Sunday that the country’s Navy had attacked an American remote-controlled vessel that was trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz. The US military has denied the claim. “The report came from Iranian state media and it’s a total lie,” said Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for Centcom, according to the Associated Press. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued his own threats back at Iran, writing on social media on Saturday, “It’s simple: if Iran shoots at US ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers.” A 60-day ceasefire between the US and Iran formally expired last month, and that period of relative calm was shattered when the US resumed attacks last Sunday.
Fighting has continued throughout the week, with the US launching multiple strikes on Iranian targets and Iran retaliating against US targets in the region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. US President Donald Trump said this week that the renewed fighting would not last “too long”, echoing comments both he and his administration have frequently made since the now six-month-long war began in February. Months of negotiations between the US and Iran have not amounted to lasting peace, and there’s little sign of a further diplomatic settlement on the horizon. The Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial to the world’s oil and gas industry, has been effectively closed since the war began, and has become a major source of leverage for Iran.
Tehran has insisted it will not give up some measure of control over the waterway. But Trump has declared that the strait is “open” and the US military has been helping ships navigate the southern route. The conflict in the strait has led to an increase in gas prices globally, and ahead of the US midterm elections in November, Trump is facing pressure over how much the war is costing American consumers. The average price for one gallon of diesel in the US hit $5.85 on Friday, compared to an average of $3.71 a year ago.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that an average of 9 million barrels of oil a day were passing through the strait, which could help ease pressure on energy prices. Wright told CNN with oil also moving through pipelines in the region, “we’re probably two-thirds or more of pre-conflict flows”. In an interview with ABC This Week on Sunday, Wright added that gas prices should start to come down for Americans as summer demand begins to wane after Labor Day. US and Iran trade retaliatory attacks on ships as conflict flares Six months into the Iran war: What has Trump accomplished?
