Iran warns war could spread beyond the region if the US strikes again

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that the Middle East conflict could spill outside the region if the United States and Israel continue their attacks on the Islamic Republic. ‘If aggression against Iran is repeated, the regional war that has been promised this time will spread far beyond the region, and our devastating strike will wipe you out,’ the IRGC said in a statement on its Sepah News website, as reported by AFP on Wednesday (20 May 2026).

The warning comes after United States President Donald Trump said Washington could strike Iran again if no agreement on a settlement to end the war is reached within a few days.

Both sides have escalated their threats while exchanging proposals to end the war, which erupted on 28 February. A ceasefire has been in place since 8 April.

‘The American-Zionist enemy… should know that although an attack against us is carried out using the full capacity of the world’s two most expensive armies, we have not deployed the full capacity of the Islamic Revolution,’ the IRGC said.

The nearly 40-day conflict has claimed the lives of prominent Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It has prompted Tehran to respond with missiles and drones across the region.

On Tuesday (19 May), Trump offered a deadline of a few days to resume the attack if no agreement is reached. He said the Gulf Arab leaders had asked him to delay the attack at the last moment the day before.

‘I am talking about two or three days, perhaps Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, perhaps early next week, a limited window,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that ‘the return of war will present more surprises’.

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