Iran warns of ‘apocalyptic war’ if attacked again

Iran said on Saturday (October 24, 2026) that U.S. warships would not be allowed to enter the Persian Gulf and warned that any attack by the U.S. and Israel would have repercussions beyond the country, amid reports that Washington was considering resuming air strikes.

“Preserving the country’s [territorial] integrity and safeguarding its national and religious identity are among the most important responsibilities of the Iranian nation today,” Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi, a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said in Tehran.

If attacked, Iran “will achieve absolute victory in this apocalyptic war”, he added, according to the state-run Press TV. He also said the war would “decide the fate” of other nations in the region, referring to Persian Gulf monarchies.

In the first and second phases of the war, Iran had retaliated by striking U.S. bases and energy facilities in Gulf kingdoms.

In a separate statement, Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, Chief of the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, said U.S. naval forces are no longer capable of approaching the Persian Gulf waters. “The U.S. President [Donald Trump] must only dream of their military and army entering the Persian Gulf again. They will take this wish to their graves,” Gen. Abdollahi said. “We will under no circumstances and at no time allow rusty U.S. military vessels to enter the Persian Gulf.”

Mr. Trump, who, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, started the war against Iran on February 28, 2026, had said on several occasions that the U.S. had destroyed Iran’s military capabilities. “If Iran’s military capabilities have been eliminated, then why have U.S. warships and military forces not dared approach the Strait of Hormuz or Iran’s maritime and land borders,” asked Gen. Abdollahi.

The comments by Iranian military officers came after the U.S. and Israeli media reported that both countries have drawn up plans to resume strikes against the Islamic Republic. On Friday (October 23), U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said in an interview that the U.S. could strike Iran within days. “Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely,” said Mr. Barrack.

The U.S. has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, preventing the country from exporting oil, its major source of revenue. Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, but U.S. officials have claimed in recent weeks that the southern transit route through the strait, protected by the U.S. Navy, is open for commercial traffic. But despite U.S. claims, Brent crude prices jumped on Friday (October 23) to hit $117 a barrel.

Iranian officials have warned in recent days that they would retaliate by targeting Persian Gulf countries in the event of renewed attacks. Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary General of Iran’s powerful Security Council, told Press TV last week fibre optic cables in the Gulf that carry internet traffic could be targeted if Iran is attacked. At least seven important undersea data cables run through or near the Strait of Hormuz, connecting countries in the Gulf and South Asia.