Khamenei said to order military response without ‘geographic limits’ if US, Israel attacks

Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday reportedly warned the United States and Israel against returning to war, according to a written statement, following threats from Tehran’s foes of a possible resumption of strikes, which a report said could come as early as November 4, the day after the US midterms.

“If the enemies once again launch military or terrorist attacks, it is the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation that will determine the time and conditions for ending them,” according to a statement attributed to Khamenei posted on his website.

The remarks came during a reported meeting between Khamenei and senior military commanders, including armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi, army chief Amir Hatami and Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi. It was the first reported meeting between them.

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Khamenei has not been publicly seen since he became supreme leader, following his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s killing in the opening strikes of the war on February 28. The younger Khamenei is believed to have been injured in a US-Israeli strike the same day his father was killed.

According to the statement, Khamenei ordered the commanders to ensure that “any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response.”

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It also said that Khamenei ordered the commanders to update Iran’s target list to include “all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy.”

Iran launched thousands of drones and missiles during this year’s war, targeting Israel, US bases in the region, as well as energy sites throughout the Middle East. It also managed to shoot a missile at the Diego Garcia air base some 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) away in the southern Indian Ocean, signaling its ability to fire at nearly anywhere in Europe.

Israeli officials have repeatedly warned of the Iranian threat to Europe, and several European countries have said that they believe Iran is behind a series of attacks and plots against Jewish targets throughout the continent.

Joining in on the threats was the Iranian Armed Forces, which warned Saturday that any new US attack would only spread their war wider.

“If the US president once again embarks on more regional adventurism under pressure from, and in an attempt to appease, the Zionists, the flames of war will undoubtedly engulf a much wider geographical area,” Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said in a post on X, without elaborating.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also warned on Saturday that “Iran’s Powerful Armed Forces will deal against those who dare harm our people.”

The statements came as fresh diplomatic efforts were underway to avert a resumption of fighting.

A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday for talks with Iranian officials, after Iran reportedly received a letter from US Vice President JD Vance.

According to Iranian media, Tehran had yet to respond to the letter.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said he’s “extremely worried” that a new round of escalation in the war between the United States and Iran would be more destructive and have a major impact, speaking at the IISS Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain.

Report: US warns Gulf of possible Iran strikes as early as Nov. 4

Parallel to the talks, Washington warned Gulf allies to prepare for a possible new round of strikes on Iran as early as November 4, a day after the US midterm elections, MSNOW reported Saturday, citing three senior Gulf Arab officials familiar with the discussions.

The strikes are expected to be brief but intense, according to the officials, who said the Gulf states are pressing Washington to de-escalate amid fears of Iranian retaliation.

One official said they “would not be surprised” if some Gulf countries opposed the use of American military bases on their territory to launch the attacks.

The US has not struck Iran since September 1, while US President Donald Trump has pledged to refrain from further attacks until after the midterms.

Asked about the reported plans, a White House official told MSNOW that “we do not comment on sensitive military plans that may or may not exist,” adding that Trump “keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”

“He’s obsessed with Iran not getting a nuclear weapon,” a former Trump administration official familiar with White House foreign policy deliberations told the outlet. “He’s been convinced that with this final attack we can get a deal with the Iranians, or we can finally destroy their nuclear program.”

Meanwhile, Iran said two fishermen it had reported missing on Saturday have now been found, following what it called a US attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Two fishermen from Qeshm, who had gone missing following an attack by the American enemy on their fishing boat this morning, have been found,” state television said.

Earlier, state TV had cited a provincial official as saying that two fishermen had gone missing and two others were wounded in what he called an attack by the United States on their vessel in the crucial Hormuz waterway.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) did not immediately comment on the reported strike. The White House and the Pentagon also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.