Iran Warns It Would Widen the War If the U.S. Strikes Again
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps warned on Sept. 22 that it would expand its war with the United States and Israel if Washington orders a new attack.
Spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said: "If a new aggression takes place, we will definitely change the weapons and geography of the war." The Guardian He added that Iran's targets "will no longer necessarily be the same as before" and that Tehran still holds targets that have not been struck. Other reporting on Sept. 22 described the statement as a pledge to change the "geography" of the war if Iran faces another invasion. China Daily Asia
The warning came after new comments from Washington. Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview on the Sunday before Sept. 22 that "very big things are going to be happening in the not-so-distant future" on Iran. In that interview, he listed his options as "wiping [Iran] out, letting them rot economically or making a deal."
Trump has made similar public threats before. On Sept. 1, he said Iran would be 'totally wiped out' if it responded to U.S. strikes, and in a call with Fox News he said Iran would be 'totally wiped out as a country' if it retaliated. Fox News In July, speaking by phone on 'Fox & Friends' as talks stalled, he threatened to wipe out Iranian bridges and power plants. Earlier, on March 7, as the war entered its second week, he demanded unconditional surrender and said U.S. attacks may wipe out Iranian leadership and military. Reuters
The war is now in its seventh month. The 2026 Iran war was started by the United States and Israel on February 28, 2026, and is centered on Iran. Britannica Trump has given different timelines for how long it will last. On April 1, he told Reuters the United States will be "out of Iran pretty quickly" and could return for "spot hits" if needed. He also predicted the war will end "immediately after" the U.S. midterm elections.
Tehran has combined threats with military changes. On May 20, the IRGC threatened to expand the war "far beyond the region." As of Aug. 10, the Iranian armed forces were being reorganized based on lessons from the June 2025 and Spring 2026 wars.
The broader context here is how two sides manage escalation during a long, direct conflict. Like players naming their next move in advance, Washington talks about hitting infrastructure and Iranian leaders. Tehran talks about fighting in a wider area with a different set of targets and arms. In plain terms, geography means where Iran might strike back, beyond the current zone of fighting. Weapons means what arms or delivery systems it might use. Neither was specified.
Looking at what this means for diplomacy, public threats are moving faster than any published plan for talks. Threats to change targets and the area of fighting increase the risk of miscalculation, especially alongside talk of removing leaders, squeezing Iran's economy, and offering a conditional deal. The immediate question is whether this language limits or closes quiet channels to calm tensions before any new strike order.
