Iran’s Supreme Leader: ‘We’ll Decide When the War Ends’ as US and Israel Weigh New Strikes

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned the United States and Israel on Saturday that if they launch new attacks, Iran will decide when and how the fighting ends, according to a written statement posted on his website [276403]. The warning came after US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened military action against Iran, though US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump has not yet decided on fresh strikes [276039].

Israel has finished preparations for a possible new confrontation with Iran, and the head of US Central Command presented Trump with military options while Washington and Tehran continued negotiations, an Israeli newspaper reported [276085]. The United States also warned Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a possible “short, intense” military campaign against Iran after the November 3 midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal reported; German Chancellor Olaf Scholz responded by urging diplomacy and continued talks over Iran’s nuclear program [274840].

Iran said it is prepared to respond to any attack while keeping diplomatic channels open with Washington through several regional intermediaries, signaling it is hedging between negotiation and confrontation [275524]. Gulf states are working on a multipart peace deal to prevent what they see as a disastrous new war between Iran and the US, centered on reopening the Strait of Hormuz within four days of sanctions being lifted on Iran and calling for the Houthis to withdraw substantial forces inside Yemen [273029].

Oil prices climbed as traders assessed the possibility that the United States and Israel could launch new military strikes on Iran, with new fighting in the region potentially disrupting energy flows and pushing prices up further [273324][274554]. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy stopped two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, saying the vessels had turned off their navigation systems and tried to use unauthorized routes [274825].