Tehran, June 23: Iran’s Military Central Command issued a fiery warning to US President Donald Trump on Monday, declaring that the US attacks on Iranian soil had expanded the battlefield and that powerful retaliatory operations are imminent.
The warning came in a video message delivered by the Command’s spokesperson, who also directly addressed Trump.
“Mr. Trump, the gambler, you may start this war-- but we will be the ones to end it,” the spokesperson said in English, in a defiant statement aimed at the American leadership.
The remarks followed a series of US bomb attacks on Iran's three key nuclear installations, which Washington claimed 'obliterated' Tehran's nuclear weapons building programme.
The Iranian military, however, described the strikes as an act of aggression that has only intensified the conflict.
The entry of the United States into this conflict has officially expanded the scope of legitimate targets for the Iranian armed forces, the spokesperson said.
"US entering conflict expands the scope of legitimate targets for the Iranian armed forces," Iran’s Military Central Command spokesperson was quoted as saying by Reuters.
He added that “powerful operations with heavy consequences” for the US are to be expected.
The statement signals a sharp escalation in rhetoric and posture from Tehran, as tensions between the two countries-- already inflamed by the Israel-Iran conflict--rise.
US bombs deepen conflict
The unprecedented escalation comes after the US carried out coordinated airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan early Sunday morning. President Trump later declared that the sites had been “totally obliterated.”
Experts say this has pushed the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict into a “decisive phase.” Former diplomat and strategic analyst Rajiv Dogra criticised the US move as reckless, warning of long-term consequences.
“Only time will tell whether there has been a radiation leak or if that has been contained in one way or the other,” Dogra said. He stressed that strikes on nuclear sites violate international norms and carry the risk of cross-border radioactive contamination. “All bets are off once nuclear facilities are attacked.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), meanwhile, confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that “no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported” so far. The agency said further assessments are underway.
Fears rise over global oil shock
Strategic affairs experts also warned that Tehran may retaliate economically by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz—a critical oil shipping corridor connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. Former diplomats Rajiv Dogra and Dilip Sinha both said such a move would severely affect global oil supplies and prices, particularly hurting India, which imports most of its crude through that route.
“Iran naturally will look at all options that are available to it,” Dogra said. “Closing the Strait of Hormuz or attacking shipping going through it are the options that seem it (Iran) might exercise.”
Sinha echoed the concern: “If the critical corridor is closed, not just the supply will be impacted but oil prices will also go up.” He said the situation was already deteriorating due to Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13 to destroy Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.
Lt Gen K.J.S. Dhillon (retd) added that Iran’s military capacity had been significantly degraded due to Israel’s precision strikes. “Attrition on Iran’s side is higher than on the Israeli side,” he said, warning that Iran may not be able to sustain a prolonged conflict.
He also noted that while closure of the Strait may not immediately disrupt oil delivery chains, “it would shake global stock markets within days.”
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