Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is reportedly threatening a response with no geographic boundaries to any new attack on his country, as a new report claims the Trump administration has told Gulf allies that strikes could resume as soon as Wednesday, the day after the midterm elections.
In a statement posted to his official Telegram account on Saturday, Khamenei ordered Iran’s armed forces to respond immediately and without “geographic limits to any enemy threat.”
The 57-year-old cleric also directed the military to update its target list so that both “physical and non-physical” American and Israeli assets fall within reach of Iranian forces. He said the goal was to achieve maximum deterrence and praised Iran’s proxy forces across the region.
The statement followed a meeting between Khamenei and Iran’s three highest-ranking military commanders, the first publicly disclosed gathering of the group since the war began. The commanders briefed him on military readiness along the Gulf coast, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and Iran’s northwestern and southeastern borders.
Khamenei has still not been seen in public more than eight months after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in February.
The threat came as MS NOW reported that three senior Arab officials in the Persian Gulf had been briefed by the administration to prepare for a short, intense round of strikes as soon as Nov. 4. The report confirmed earlier reporting from The Wall Street Journal.
One of the officials said some Gulf states may refuse to allow the use of bases on their soil, and another source said they would not be surprised if Gulf nations were working to head off the strikes out of fear of how Iran might respond.
The White House did not confirm the timeline.
“President Trump keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” a White House official told the network.
The U.S. has not struck Iran since early September.
Diplomatic efforts are still underway. Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks in Tehran just a day before Khamenei’s meeting, seeking a deal to restart direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran and avoid a return to war.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iran at Trump’s direction as part of efforts to revive talks. Iran has confirmed receiving the letter but has not issued a formal response.
Meanwhile, an unnamed senior Iranian official told the Lebanese outlet Al Mayadeen that the armed forces have completed what was described as a comprehensive operational plan.
The warning also comes days after Republican strategist Karl Rove said he expects Trump to resume strikes on Iran following Tuesday’s elections.
