Iran prepares stronger retaliation if US launches new attacks

Iran prepares for war

Iran is preparing a broader and more powerful response if the US resumes air attacks, sources said. At the same time, the country is continuing diplomatic efforts that Iranian officials privately believe are unlikely to succeed.

Iran's leadership believes that any renewed US campaign should be met with a stronger response than before, even as Tehran seeks to avoid escalation through negotiations, Reuters reports.

According to three senior Iranian officials and an insider familiar with the discussions, senior commanders are considering plans to expand the range of potential targets.

Specifically, beyond US-linked assets to countries that support US military operations and possibly locations outside the Middle East.

Since President Masoud Pezeshkian returned from New York last week, commanders and senior officials have been discussing the scale and timing of any response if Washington launches another strike.

No final decision has been made yet, but planning has intensified as neither side shows signs of being ready to compromise.

Hamidreza Azizi, a senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group, said Tehran remains uncertain about what US President Donald Trump will do.

It is unclear whether he will launch another major campaign or opt for more limited attacks, such as strikes on nuclear facilities.

"But they seem determined not to respond symbolically to a symbolic move and instead to escalate in the ⁠hope of reestablishing deterrence​​​​​," Azizi said.

Two officials said Tehran had instructed allied groups in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq to be ready to support Iran if the US resumes a large-scale attack.

Tehran, however, is still keeping the channel open for negotiations even as it prepares for a broader war.

What Iran wants

Iran is also concerned about whether its economy can withstand a prolonged confrontation under the US blockade, which has halted oil exports.

Iranian authorities say the proposal includes:

• An end to hostilities,
• Lifting the US blockade of Iranian ports,
• Releasing at least $12 billion in frozen Iranian funds,
• Lifting oil sanctions.

Trump said last week that he rejected Iran's proposal.

On September 28, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded that the Iranian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly leave the country immediately after negotiations reached a deadlock.

US-Iran talks have also effectively collapsed because neither side is willing to make concessions.