Iran prepares broader retaliation as US attack threat persists

October 1, 2026 at 04:13 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Iran is preparing a broader and more forceful response if the United States resumes large-scale military attacks, according to three senior Iranian officials and an insider familiar with the discussions. Senior commanders are reviewing plans to expand potential targets beyond US-linked assets to countries that support US military operations and possibly to locations outside the Middle East. Tehran is still keeping open a channel for negotiations even as it readies for a wider war.

Key Facts

Iran's leadership is convinced that any renewed US campaign must be met with a stronger response than before, according to three senior Iranian officials and an insider familiar with the discussions.
Senior commanders are reviewing plans to expand potential targets beyond US-linked assets to countries that support US military operations and possibly to locations outside the Middle East.
Tehran has instructed allied groups in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq to be ready to support Iran in the event of a renewed large-scale US attack, two of the officials said.
At last week's United Nations General Assembly in New York, Tehran submitted a proposal to Washington through Qatari mediators that, if accepted, could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt hostilities across the region within seven days.
The deliberations follow seven months of conflict that began with US-Israeli attacks on February 28, and an April 8 ceasefire ended the 40-day war, though hostilities have continued sporadically since then.

Response Planning

Since President Masoud Pezeshkian returned from New York last week, commanders and senior officials have focused on the scope and timing of any response if Washington strikes again. No final decision has been made, but planning has intensified as neither side shows signs of willingness to compromise. Hamidreza Azizi, a senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group, said Tehran remained uncertain whether President Donald Trump would launch another major campaign or opt for more limited attacks, such as strikes on nuclear facilities. Azizi added that Iran seems determined not to respond symbolically to a symbolic move and instead to escalate in the hope of reestablishing deterrence.

Diplomatic Channel

Tehran is still keeping open a channel for negotiations even as it readies for a wider war. Underlying Iran's calculations is a second concern: whether its economy can withstand a prolonged confrontation under a US blockade that has cut off oil exports, a critical source of revenue. Years of sanctions and mounting economic hardship have already placed growing pressure on ordinary Iranians. At last week's United Nations General Assembly in New York, Tehran submitted a proposal to Washington through Qatari mediators that, if accepted, could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt hostilities across the region within seven days.