The BRICS TimesIran has cautioned its Gulf neighbors that permitting the US to conduct strikes from their soil would trigger a total shutdown of Middle East oil production.
Rising Middle East tensions
The situation in the Middle East grew more intense on Tuesday. Iran delivered sharp military warnings to the US and Israel while also putting nearby Gulf nations on notice about severe repercussions.
Peace talks in Islamabad delayed
US Vice President JD Vance was set to fly to Islamabad with envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. They planned to hold peace discussions with Iranian leaders. However, a White House official told CNN the trip is currently on hold.
Trump extends the truce
Earlier, President Donald Trump used Truth Social to announce an extension of the ceasefire with Iran. He is waiting for a “unified proposal” from an Iranian leadership he described as “seriously fractured.”
“…upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal. I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted,” Trump posted.
Khamenei’s Telegram warning
The official Telegram channel of Mojtaba Khamenei posted a message threatening the US and Israel with potential drone and missile strikes.
“In the same way that the drones of Iran’s Army strike the US and [Israel] like lightning, its valiant navy is also ready to inflict new bitter defeats on its enemies,” the statement read, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Naval blockade continues
This warning arrives at a very sensitive moment. The US is currently blocking Iranian vessels after Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the WSJ noted that peace talks in Islamabad have stalled because neither side has sent delegates.
The hidden leader
The WSJ also mentioned that Mojtaba Khamenei has stayed out of the public eye. He became the supreme leader after his father was killed in an Israeli strike during the early stages of the conflict.
Iran’s ultimatum to Gulf nations
Separately, the Revolutionary Guards sent a warning to Iran’s Gulf neighbors on Tuesday. They threatened to stop all Middle East oil production if regional territory is used for attacks against Iran.
“The southern neighbors should know that if their geography and facilities are used in the service of the enemies to attack the Iranian nation, they should bid farewell to oil production in the Middle East,” stated Majid Mousavi, the Guards’ aerospace commander, as quoted by AFP.
