Iran says won’t allow US warships to get close as Trump ponders new attacks

What the report says

Iranian military leaders said the country would not allow U.S. warships to approach its waters, as President Donald Trump said Washington was still weighing fresh strikes or continued pressure on Iran. In comments carried by Iranian state media, Iran’s top military official said U.S. carrier groups could not safely come near the Persian Gulf, underscoring how both sides appear to be hardening their positions rather than moving toward de-escalation.

The Al Jazeera report said the exchange came amid an already widening regional conflict involving the Strait of Hormuz, Yemen, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank and Gaza. It noted that attacks on vessels in and around the strait have contributed to higher oil prices, while Iran-aligned forces and Israel have continued to trade strikes in other parts of the region. Iranian officials and state-linked commentators portrayed the situation as a warning that another major round of fighting could be close.

The article also described a diplomatic meeting in Istanbul involving Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and several European states. Those participants said a new attack on Iran would expand the war, while also calling for free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran-linked media argued that any real progress would require the United States and its allies to make the first concessions.

More broadly, the piece reflects a sharp rise in tensions between Iran and the United States, with rhetoric from both sides suggesting that military confrontation, shipping disruptions and regional spillover remain immediate risks.