Tensions in the Middle East increased on Tuesday as Iran made strong military threats against the United States and Israel and also warned nearby Gulf countries about serious consequences.
US Vice President JD Vance was expected to travel to Islamabad with special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner for peace talks with Iranian officials. However, the trip has been cancelled for now, according to a White House official, as per CNN.
Earlier, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that he would extend the current ceasefire with Iran while waiting for a “unified proposal” from what he called the “seriously fractured” Iranian government.
“…upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal. I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted,” Trump wrote.
Also Read: ‘Will extend ceasefire until Iran submits proposal’: Trump’s big announcement ahead of deadline
Khamenei’s telegram warning
A message posted on the official Telegram account of Mojtaba Khamenei warned about possible drone and missile attacks on the US and Israel.
“In the same way that the drones of Iran’s Army strike the US and [Israel] like lightning, its valiant navy is also ready to inflict new bitter defeats on its enemies,” the statement said, according to The Wall Street Journal.
This warning comes at a tense time. The US has been blocking Iranian ships after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, planned peace talks in Islamabad have not started yet, as neither side has sent representatives, according to WSJ.
WSJ also reported that Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since becoming supreme leader after his father was killed in an Israeli strike at the start of the war.
Also Follow: US Iran war LIVE updates
Iran warns Gulf neighbors
Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued their own warning on Tuesday, this time directed at Iran’s Gulf neighbors threatening to bring oil production across the entire Middle East to a halt if their territory is used to stage attacks against Iran.
“The southern neighbors should know that if their geography and facilities are used in the service of the enemies to attack the Iranian nation, they should bid farewell to oil production in the Middle East,” said Majid Mousavi, the Guards’ aerospace commander, as quoted by Fars news agency, according to AFP.
These statements show rising tensions in the region, with threats of military action and possible impact on oil production.
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