Payam Javan: The White House has issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that Tehran “will continue to pay” as reports emerge of a potential new round of U.S. military strikes. Following a brief pause in a 13-day bombing campaign earlier in the week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not deny that renewed operations could be imminent. The potential strikes, reportedly ordered by President Donald Trump, are aimed at compelling Iran to return to the negotiating table after a series of escalations in the region.
According to the White House, the renewed pressure is a direct response to Iran’s alleged violations of international agreements and hostile actions. Press Secretary Leavitt emphasized that Iran had violated a memorandum of understanding with the United States, targeted commercial shipping vessels, and caused the deaths of American service members. She asserted that the Trump administration would not tolerate these actions, declaring that military and economic pressure would persist until Tehran engages in meaningful negotiations.
The escalation comes amid conflicting accounts of recent military engagements between the two nations. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have shot down three American F-35 stealth fighters and three other aircraft during an assault on the Al Azraq Air Base in Jordan, as well as inflicting American casualties. However, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) strongly denied these assertions, stating that no U.S. aircraft were damaged or destroyed and that all incoming Iranian missiles and drones were successfully intercepted or failed to reach their targets.
The conflict has increasingly drawn in neighboring Middle Eastern nations, threatening regional stability. Jordan reported intercepting Iranian missiles over its territory for two consecutive days, while Kuwait reported one fatality resulting from an Iranian strike. Additionally, Iranian drone activity reportedly caused fires on commercial vessels at Egyptian ports, and Saudi Arabia reported facing threats from Iranian-backed militia groups operating out of Iraq.
In response to the maritime incidents in Egypt, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi described Egypt as a close partner and friend but refrained from explicitly denying Iranian involvement. Instead, Araghchi urged regional vigilance, attributing the incidents to potential “false flag” operations orchestrated by Israel to destabilize the region. Meanwhile, the U.S. maintains that the IRGC’s actions and threats remain the primary source of danger to commercial shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Alongside military measures, the United States has intensified its economic pressure on Tehran. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced new sanctions targeting six individuals and entities across China, India, Russia, and Iran. These parties are accused of providing financial and logistical support to the sanctioned Iranian carrier Mahan Air and the IRGC, as part of a broader U.S. strategy to isolate Tehran from the global financial system.
