Iran considers the US economic and naval blockade, along with restrictions on Iranian airspace, a continuation of the military aggression that began on February 28, the official said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Thursday that its naval forces had targeted four ships in the northern Persian Gulf over alleged oil transfers between vessels, while warning the United States against further escalation.

The IRGC Navy said the four vessels were targeted simultaneously after being tracked while transferring oil cargoes from one ship to another along what it described as “unauthorised routes.” It added that fires were still burning aboard the targeted ships.

The force also claimed that three additional vessels had collided with mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, bringing the total number of affected ships to seven, according to its statements.

The IRGC accused the United States of encouraging vessels to cross a maritime passage allegedly planted with mines, saying the approach was contributing to an increase in maritime incidents.

It warned Washington that continued actions could prompt a broader Iranian response, including against American bases in the region.

Trump Says US Is Not Negotiating with Iran

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington was not negotiating with Tehran, adding that developments in the conflict would become clear “fairly soon.”

“No, I think we’re not negotiating,” Trump told reporters upon returning from a rally in South Carolina.

“We are going to have something one way or the other that’ll happen fairly soon,” he added.

Speaking at the rally, Trump said the United States could end its war with Iran immediately but wanted to ensure that any outcome would last.

“It’ll end very soon. We could leave now, but we want to make sure it lasts for a long time,” he said.

Trump also claimed that the United States had defeated Iran militarily and financially and insisted that Tehran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.

Report Says US and Israel Preparing Possible New Strikes

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that US and Israeli militaries had developed plans for renewed strikes against Iran following the US midterm elections.

Citing US officials and other people briefed on the discussions, the newspaper said preparations had advanced for a possible short but intensive campaign. The two militaries had reportedly increased exercises, including flights over Iraq to practise strike manoeuvres.

Potential targets could include Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile and drone capabilities, and energy infrastructure, according to the report.

The newspaper also reported that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week to discuss possible renewed strikes. Options involving Iran’s nuclear programme could include the deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain site.

However, the report said it remained uncertain whether Trump would approve another round of strikes, noting that he had previously rejected plans to resume major combat operations.

A White House official told the newspaper that the administration does not comment on military plans “that may or may not exist.”

Iran Warns of Wider Retaliation

A senior Iranian security official warned on Wednesday that US political assets and infrastructure belonging to countries participating in a new war against Iran could be considered “legitimate targets” if Iranian officials were assassinated or civilians killed.

According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, the official said Tehran expected the possibility of another US-Israeli attack and considered Washington’s diplomatic signals unreliable.

The official also criticised remarks made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Athens, which Tehran interpreted as providing a historical and civilisational justification for the war.

The official claimed that Iranian political and intellectual figures increasingly believed US policy in the Middle East was being shaped by Israel and that this was obstructing diplomatic efforts. These assertions reflect the Iranian official’s position and were not independently established in the report.

Iran considers the US economic and naval blockade, along with restrictions on Iranian airspace, a continuation of the military aggression that began on February 28, the official said.

The official added that growing domestic pressure was pushing Iranian authorities towards what Tehran describes as decisive action to break the blockade under its claimed right to self-defence.

According to the official, Iranian operational units had been instructed to consider US political assets and infrastructure in countries participating in a future conflict as potential targets if the specified conditions were met.

The warning comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran over maritime restrictions, the US blockade and security around the Strait of Hormuz.