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Iran is warning it would deploy "new weapons with new capabilities" if the United States launches fresh military strikes, even as President Donald Trump signaled openness to meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during this week's United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The warning from Tehran came Monday (September 21) as tensions between Washington and Tehran remained at a stalemate nearly seven months into their conflict. Hossein Mohebbi, a spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said "there will certainly be significant changes in our defence and our counteroffensive" if new U.S. attacks occur, according to NBC News.
"We will introduce new weapons with new capabilities into the battlefield, and the world will be surprised," Mohebbi said. "Our targets will not necessarily be the same as before either. We have new targets that have not yet been attacked."
The Iranian military spokesman did not provide details about what weapons Tehran might deploy or which locations could be targeted. The Guards also said they were prepared for a "prolonged war" and warned that "U.S. intelligence centres are within our reach," Al Jazeera reported.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday (September 20), President Trump said he would "probably" be open to meeting Pezeshkian during the U.N. General Assembly this week. The potential encounter would come at a striking moment, as Iran has sent Washington a list of conditions for renewed negotiations while Iranian military leaders warn of major retaliation if the U.S. resumes large-scale attacks.
Trump described his options for dealing with Iran as "wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically, or making a deal." He added: "My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up." The president warned Iran to "behave" and said "very big things" will happen in the war.
The conflict began in late February when U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader and senior military officials. Tehran responded by blocking the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments previously flowed. The Iranian blockade has caused oil prices to surge and disrupted global energy markets.
On Monday, Gulf News reported that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while entering the Strait of Hormuz, injuring two crew members. The vessel continued to its next port under its own power. Separately, a liquefied petroleum gas tanker transiting outbound through Hormuz was hit by debris from unknown projectiles, though all crew members were safe and there was no environmental impact.
Visible commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains far below pre-war levels. Shipping data showed 17 commodity vessels passed through the strait over the weekend, down from 37 the previous weekend and far below the roughly 125 large commercial vessels that typically crossed daily before the conflict began.
Trump also told Fox News that the Houthis, Iran-backed rebels who control much of Yemen, had agreed not to fight with the U.S. "The Houthis called us, and they don't want to fight with us," he said. However, violence escalated over the weekend, with the Houthis claiming missile and drone attacks on sites in Riyadh and an Aramco facility in Yanbu, a key Saudi oil export hub on the Red Sea.
The New York Times reported Monday that President Trump had considered but ultimately decided against joining Saudi Arabia in strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. The report described an extraordinary sequence in which targets had been selected and bombs were being loaded onto U.S. warplanes before Trump pulled back. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration continued its economic pressure campaign against Iran. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Monday that Iranian airlines would effectively be cut off from global operations starting Wednesday (September 23). "If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets or you will be knocked out of the dollar system," Bessent told CNBC.
Bessent's comments came a day after he met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng for economic talks ahead of President Trump's scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday (September 25). China is one of Iran's top economic partners and diplomatic backers.
The conflict has taken a significant toll on Iran's economy. Iran's Statistical Center reported Sunday that the country's gross domestic product contracted 10.1 percent year-over-year during the first quarter of the Persian calendar, which ran from late March to late June.
Oil prices eased Monday but remained at historically elevated levels as markets balanced signs of recovering Saudi supplies against continuing disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude fell more than two percent to around $101 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude declined to $99.22. The retreat followed an earlier decline as traders responded to signs that Saudi Arabia could restore some disrupted exports.
Qatar is working with the United States and Iran to resume talks, according to Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum in New York, Al Ansari said Qatar had been exchanging ideas with Washington and Tehran over the past few weeks in an effort to restart negotiations. "We have heard statements on the record from various administration officials who have confirmed that the United States wants a deal," he said.
This week's United Nations gathering will bring both President Trump and President Pezeshkian to New York, creating what analysts describe as a potential opening for diplomacy after nearly seven months of escalating tensions between the two nations.