Iran’s parliament speaker warned on Sunday that any future American attack on the country would be met with a “faster, heavier and more painful response,” a day after US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers in the latest escalation of the months-long conflict between Washington and Tehran.
“The rules of the game have changed, and from now on, any transgression against the interests and security of Iran will receive a ‘faster, heavier, and more painful’ response,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a speech published on his Telegram channel.
Iran-US War Latest Update: What triggered the latest exchange of attacks?
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces struck the tankers after Iran fired ballistic missiles at two US Navy vessels, an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer, both of which the military said evaded the attacks without sustaining damage or casualties.
CENTCOM added that two of the Iranian oil carriers were permanently disabled and a third, unladen vessel was destroyed outright.
Iran-US War Latest Update: How has the US justified the strikes on Iranian tankers?
American officials reporedly said the targeted vessels formed part of a shadow fleet used to help finance Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its regional allied groups. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper framed the strikes as a direct, proportional response to the missile attacks on US ships, saying bluntly that further Iranian strikes on American vessels would be met with the destruction of even more of Iran’s tanker fleet.
Iran-US War Latest Update: What other retaliatory action has Iran claimed?
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its naval forces had subsequently targeted three separate oil tankers travelling an “unauthorised route” through the Strait of Hormuz, along with three additional vessels it described as affiliated with the United States, though some of these claims have not been independently verified.
The IRGC asserted on Sunday that its forces had struck an American military unmanned surface vessel attempting to enter the strait, warning all ships in the Gulf region to avoid unapproved routes or risk being targeted.
Iran-US War Latest Update: How is the conflict affecting Iran’s domestic economy?
Away from the naval confrontation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used a state television appearance to address mounting economic strain at home, saying his government did not intend to raise petrol prices despite growing pressure on fuel supplies.
Pezeshkian said Tehran would instead rely on non-price measures to manage consumption, adding that any savings generated from reduced fuel use would go toward strengthening the country’s electronic food voucher programme rather than being diverted elsewhere.
Iran-US War Latest Update: What is at stake in the Strait of Hormuz?
The strait, one of the world’s most important corridors for seaborne oil shipments, has become the central flashpoint of the conflict, with Iran maintaining what analysts describe as a tightening grip on the waterway even as Washington enforces a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
The standoff has already disrupted regional energy markets and raised concerns among shipping firms operating in the Gulf, with Tehran previously signalling it may deliberately try to drive up global insurance costs and oil prices by making the strait’s shipping lanes more hazardous to navigate.
Iran-US War Latest Update: What happens next in the standoff?
With Iran’s parliament speaker explicitly ruling out any return to what he called “proportionate” responses, and CENTCOM signalling it will continue imposing costs on Iran’s tanker fleet in the event of further attacks, both sides appear positioned for continued escalation around the Gulf’s shipping lanes rather than any near-term de-escalation. Analysts observing the standoff say the durability of the current exchange will likely hinge on whether either side chooses to broaden its targets beyond military and commercial vessels in the days ahead.
