Iran says another U.S. attack could bring previously unused weapons and an expanded battlefield as President Donald Trump weighs military escalation, continued economic pressure or renewed negotiations with Tehran.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.

Iran threatened Monday to expand the scope of its conflict with the United States and deploy weapons it says have not yet been used, sharpening tensions as President Donald Trump weighs whether to order new military action or pursue another attempt at negotiations with Tehran.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Iran would alter both the weapons it uses and the locations it targets if the United States launches another attack. He offered no details about the weapons or potential targets, leaving the capabilities claimed by Tehran unverified.

“We will introduce new weapons with new capabilities into the battle, and the world will be astonished,” Mohebbi said.

The IRGC spokesman also said Tehran has identified targets that were not attacked during earlier fighting and is preparing for the possibility that the conflict could continue for an extended period.

“Those changes include a shift in the geography of war, and a shift in weapons and military equipment,” Mohebbi said.

Iran’s latest warning came one day after Trump said he was in “deciding mode” over the administration’s next move and suggested Washington is considering three broad paths: another military escalation, continued economic pressure or an agreement with Tehran.

Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst that “big things” could happen if Iran does not “behave.”

“It’s basically three things,” Trump said. “Wipe it out, let it rot with the economy, or make a deal.”

The military warnings are unfolding alongside signs that Washington and Tehran have not completely closed the door to diplomacy.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is traveling to New York for this week’s United Nations General Assembly, while Trump is also attending the gathering. The Trump administration approved visas for Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other members of Iran’s core delegation despite the continuing conflict.

Trump is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Tuesday, while Pezeshkian is expected to speak Wednesday.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Monday that Trump is “always open to a deal” when asked whether the president would consider meeting Pezeshkian. Trump said Sunday that he would probably be open to such a meeting.

No Trump-Pezeshkian meeting had been formally announced as of Monday.

The possibility nevertheless adds a diplomatic dimension to a week otherwise marked by military threats, sanctions and continuing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has communicated conditions for resuming negotiations through mediators, according to reports about Tehran’s position. Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei has said Iran has established seven conditions for talks with Washington.

The gathering in New York also places Iran’s leadership inside the United States while the administration maintains restrictions on the delegation’s movements and activities.

A former White House official identified as Wold in reporting on the gathering said the restrictions would constrain Tehran’s ability to use its presence in New York beyond the U.N. meetings.

“For the Iranians, the limitation is going to be that there’s going to be less access to the international press and less ability for them to essentially poke the Trump administration in the eye,” Wold said before adding that it is “pretty sensible to allow them to participate in the international forum and to discuss whatever issues they think are pertinent to their regime and then tell them to go home.”

While the possibility of direct diplomacy remains unresolved, the Trump administration is simultaneously increasing economic pressure.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that U.S. secondary sanctions are intended to effectively prevent Iranian airlines from operating internationally beginning Wednesday, Sept. 23, by threatening penalties against companies that provide them with essential services.

Bessent said aviation-service providers that continue doing business with sanctioned Iranian carriers risk losing access to the U.S. financial system.

When an Iranian airline arrives at an airport, “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 said.

The Treasury Department earlier this month sanctioned 36 targets it said were supporting Iran’s aviation sector, including companies and intermediaries involved in supplying aircraft, technology and other services. Treasury says Iranian aviation networks have been used to transport military personnel, weapons and other cargo on behalf of the Iranian government and IRGC.

The administration is also pressing China, one of Iran’s most important economic partners, to avoid providing material assistance to Tehran.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Monday that the war has introduced “a layer of complexity” into Washington’s relationship with Beijing but that Chinese officials understand the administration’s position.

“The Chinese have heard the president, they’ve heard Secretary Bessent on Iran,” Greer said. “And we have been very clear that they can’t contribute materially to Iran’s, you know, belligerence.”

Greer said Washington has also asked Beijing to reduce purchases of Iranian oil, while noting that disruptions to Iranian exports have limited how much crude is currently available.

“Whether they want it or not, it’s just not available,” Greer said.

He added that Chinese officials have “generally speaking, steered clear of the Iran situation.”

Greer’s comments followed talks in New York between Bessent, Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng ahead of Trump’s scheduled Thursday meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington. The U.S. and Chinese delegations discussed trade, artificial intelligence and other issues during approximately eight hours of meetings Sunday.

Bessent separately said Chinese officials have been “very engaged” in discussions about Washington’s sanctions campaign against Iran.

The Treasury secretary said U.S. officials have had positive discussions with Chinese financial authorities, including People’s Bank of China Gov. Pan Gongsheng, concerning compliance with sanctions targeting Tehran. China has not independently confirmed Bessent’s description of those discussions.

Waltz also emphasized the administration’s economic campaign Monday, arguing that sanctions and other measures have substantially weakened Iran’s economy.

“Our foot is on the neck of the Iranian economy,” Waltz said.

He pointed to Iran’s currency, inflation, foreign-currency reserves and the government’s ability to maintain fuel subsidies and meet payroll obligations for government and military personnel. The ambassador said Trump does not intend to ease the pressure unless circumstances change.

The combination of economic sanctions and possible negotiations comes as security conditions remain unstable throughout the region.

A tanker traveling through the Strait of Hormuz was struck Monday by what the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center described as an “unknown projectile.”

Two crew members sustained minor injuries, but the tanker remained operational and continued toward its next port under its own power. Authorities reported no environmental damage from the incident and were investigating what struck the vessel.

“Military authorities have informed UKMTO that a tanker conducting an inbound transit was struck by an unknown projectile,” UKMTO said.

“Two crew have sustained minor injuries and the vessel is reported to be continuing to its next port of call under its own power.”

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies moved through the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and international shipping routes.

Commercial traffic has continued through the strait but remains far below its prewar level as military activity and uncertainty increase risks for shipping.

The incident occurred as Washington and Tehran traded further warnings over what would happen if large-scale U.S. attacks resume.

Iran’s military has said another major attack would trigger sustained retaliation against U.S. bases and other American interests in the region. Tehran has also warned that governments assisting a U.S. offensive could be treated as parties to the conflict.

The United States, meanwhile, has increased warnings to Americans in Iran and elsewhere in the region.

The U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran urged American citizens Sunday to leave the country and warned that further military escalation could lead to flight cancellations, airspace closures and other disruptions.

“Do not travel to Iran for any reason. U.S. citizens should leave Iran now,” the security alert said.

Officials described the security environment as “complex,” with the potential for “unforeseen escalation,” and advised Americans to monitor airlines and changing travel conditions.

The alert also cited hostilities involving Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia, including attacks affecting civilian aviation and other targets.

“This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly,” the warning said.

Iran’s support for the Houthis and recent attacks involving Saudi Arabia have further widened the regional dimension of the conflict.

At the same time, the possibility of negotiations during the General Assembly has contributed to some financial-market optimism. Oil prices fell Monday as traders assessed the possibility of renewed U.S.-Iran diplomacy alongside recovering Saudi exports, even as the military situation remained unsettled.

The administration therefore enters the U.N. gathering pursuing several tracks at once: maintaining military options, increasing sanctions on Iran, pressing China to limit support for Tehran and leaving open the possibility of direct negotiations.

Iran, for its part, is signaling that it is prepared for either outcome.

Mohebbi said the IRGC is ready for a prolonged confrontation and suggested another U.S. offensive would produce a different Iranian response than earlier stages of the war, including different weapons and a wider range of targets.

Trump has not publicly announced which of the three options he outlined Sunday he will pursue.

For now, both governments are sending delegations to the same city while simultaneously warning that another round of military action could significantly expand the conflict.

Original article