Iran warns of triple-strength retaliation if attacked
On the 203rd day of the Middle East conflict, Iran warns any US strike will bring a threefold response, as it reports swelling troop numbers and fresh attacks disrupt oil supplies
Today is the 203rd day of the war raging in the Middle East. The conflict is no longer confined to Iran, the United States and Israel. It now involves Yemen's Houthis, Yemen's Saudi-backed government, and countries including Oman, Jordan, the UAE and Kuwait. Israel is currently not striking Iran directly, but its operations in Lebanon and Gaza continue.
It is difficult to say clearly who has won and who has lost in a war that has run this long. Some observers believe Iran has had the upper hand, while others think the opposite. But it has to be acknowledged that Trump and Netanyahu together have not been able to defeat Iran, a country often seen as weaker.
For a while, Iran and the United States slowed their attacks on each other, and it seemed the war had quietened. But this silence could also be a sign of a bigger storm ahead. In international circles, there is talk that the United States is using this lull to prepare for a major strike on Iran.
There is now talk that the United States could launch a direct ground war against Iran. But in the same lull, Iran too is building up the strength of its armed forces. Iran says it has raised the size of its military to around 400,000 personnel. In recent days, Iran showed the world proof of this by involving civilians in Tehran in war training and drill exercises.
Women were seen alongside men taking part in this training. Iran is preparing now to counter any ground attack, should one come. Economic blockade and air war have failed to defeat Iran, so the whole world is watching whether the United States and Israel choose the path of a ground assault. That will determine whether the Middle East flares up again.
Iran has issued a clear warning that if the United States launches a heavy attack on it, then the countries that have allowed the US to use their soil in the Middle East, and on whose land the US has built military bases to carry out strikes, will themselves face a heavy attack, along with US military bases. In other words, wherever a missile is fired at Iran from, Iran will send three missiles back from that same place.
Last night Ukraine attacked Russia's oil reserves, launching around 1,600 drones at Moscow. In response, Russia carried out its biggest attack yet on Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Houthis attacked and destroyed a Saudi oil pipeline, halting oil supply to Europe for a week.
The Houthis have also completely blocked Saudi shipping through Bab al-Mandeb in the Red Sea, closing off that route, while the Strait of Hormuz was already closed. Amid all this, America's JPMorgan bank has said it does not know when this war will end or when the world's oil trade will return to normal. Because of this, everyone is watching to see when Trump's unpredictable approach will be reined in.
