Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that the country’s forces are prepared to fight an intense war for six months against the United States and Israel, following a series of regional strikes that have escalated tensions across the Middle East.
The warning came on Sunday, a day after Israel said it targeted Tehran’s commanders at a seaside hotel in central Beirut, killing at least four people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. AFP journalists at the scene reported shattered windows and charred walls.
“The Islamic Republic is ready to sustain an intense war for six months at the current pace of fighting,” Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said. He added that while Iran has so far relied on “first and second generation” missiles, it plans to deploy “advanced and less-used long-range missiles” in the coming days.
The conflict has already triggered regional repercussions. Saudi Arabia intercepted a wave of drones aimed at Riyadh, while Kuwait reported that an attack struck fuel tanks at its international airport. The strike also forced Kuwait’s national oil company to reduce crude production amid threats to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route.
Tehran accused the US and Israel of striking an oil depot in the Iranian capital on Saturday, marking the first assault on the Islamic Republic’s oil infrastructure. Israel said its airstrikes targeted “fuel storage facilities used to operate military infrastructure.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the campaign “with all our force” after joint US-Israeli operations killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week, igniting the conflict.
Iranian officials have strongly criticised Washington’s strategy. Security chief Ali Larijani accused the US of attempting a “Venezuela-style” regime change, warning that the administration is now “trapped.”
Meanwhile, hardline judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei cautioned Middle East neighbours, “openly and covertly at the disposal of the enemy,” that attacks will continue.
The war has extended to Iran’s neighbours. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia intercepted over a dozen drones, Qatar reported two cruise missiles and 10 ballistic missiles fired at its territory, and the UAE’s defence ministry said incoming missiles and drones were being intercepted.
Inside Iran, the human toll is rising. The health ministry reported that at least 926 civilians have been killed and around 6,000 injured, though AFP could not independently verify the figures. “I don’t think anyone who hasn’t experienced war would understand it,” a 26-year-old teacher told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Lebanon has also felt the impact. Israeli strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Beirut have killed at least 294 people over the past week, prompting Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to warn of a looming “humanitarian disaster.”
The conflict shows no signs of abating, with analysts cautioning that there is no clear path to peace. US President Donald Trump has hinted that Iranian economic recovery could follow if a new “acceptable” leader replaces Khamenei—a proposition firmly rejected by Tehran.
China and Russia have largely stayed on the sidelines despite close ties with Iran. China’s top diplomat Wang Yi condemned the war, stating, “This is a war that should never have happened… The world cannot return to the law of the jungle.”
