TEHRAN: Iran's supreme leader on Saturday warned the United States and Israel against launching new attacks on the country following their threats to resume their strikes after crucial elections, as fears mount over a return to fighting.
President Donald Trump has suggested he could launch fresh military action after the United States holds midterm elections early next week, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday said that "if there is a diplomatic solution, we would be open to it".
In Israel, which is coming off a general election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken of a "historic, one-time opportunity" to topple the Iranian government.
Polls in both countries could determine the direction of the conflict, with Israel having voted on Tuesday but yet to form a new government.
"Any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response," Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei told top military commanders in a meeting, according to a statement. The encounter was the first reported meeting between Khamenei and military top brass.
The supreme leader has not been seen publicly since before he took the helm in March, after the killing of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.
Khamenei also ordered commanders to update Iran's target list to include "all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy".
Iran has previously warned it would consider severing undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz.
Petrol prices weigh on US vote
Rubio for his part warned that "we can achieve military objectives if we seek to", adding Trump "hasn't made a decision" on any fresh strikes.
Since the initial US-Israeli bombardment in February, ordinary Iranians "have been left in a state of limbo for the past year", Fariba, a Tehran housewife, told AFP.
But other residents in the Iranian capital brushed off the possible return to full-scale conflict. "We do not fear another war. We have been at war for 48 years now," said Ebrahim, a salesman in his forties.
Since the outbreak of the war, Tehran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries around one-fifth of global oil consumption.
A ship traversing the strait struck a mine and caught fire, Iranian state television reported on Saturday, after Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Friday said three oil tankers had been halted after encountering unspecified "incidents" or hitting mines.
The blockade has caused a spike in global energy prices, making the war unpopular among the US public ahead of midterm congressional elections Tuesday.
Gains for the opposition Democrats could restrict, to an extent, Trump's ability to enact policy.
Voting in Israel has left Netanyahu's political camp with the most seats in parliament but short of a majority, leaving the make-up of the next administration unclear.
'Flames of war'
The war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The Islamic republic swiftly responded with attacks on American assets in countries around the region.
Fresh diplomatic efforts are underway to avert any resumption of fighting, with Qatari mediators landing in Tehran on Friday, and US Vice President JD Vance sending a letter to Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei.
"I read the letter. I haven't yet responded. Their tone has completely changed," Rezaei, head of Iran's supreme national security council, said in a video broadcast on Iranian television.
He said the change in tone was "a good sign", though he declined to comment further on its contents.
But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that "currently, there are no plans for meetings with American officials".
"Iran's conditions are clear, and consultations regarding them are ongoing among mediators," he said in an interview with Al Jazeera, according to the state news agency IRNA.
Qatar and Pakistan have been mediating between the warring parties, but the talks have yet to produce a lasting agreement.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Vance had sent his letter to Iran's security chief at Trump's direction in a bid to revive negotiations and avert further US strikes.
The Iranian side kept firm its warnings against further attacks Saturday.
Army spokesman Mohammad Akaraminia said any resumption of hostilities would only expand the scope of the war.
"The flames of war will undoubtedly engulf a much wider geographical area," he said on social media.
Araghchi warned on X there would no longer be any "red lines".
