Iran warns of regional war risk as Trump sends 'very big, powerful ships'
Iran's Supreme Leader issues a new threat after his general says "our fingers are on the trigger". Mr Trump won't reveal whether the US will strike.
Sunday 1 February 2026 10:44, UK
Iran's Supreme Leader has warned Donald Trump that the entire region will be engulfed in conflict if the US starts a war.
The US president has warned he could take military action against Iran over its killing of peaceful protesters, and last night said that "very big" American warships were heading for the region.
Now Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has warned that if the US starts a war, it will engulf the whole region in conflict.
In comments reported by Iranian state media, he said: "America should know that if it starts a war, this time it will be a regional war.
"These threats are nothing new. In the past as well, American officials repeatedly talked about war and said that all options were on the table including war.
"Now this man [Mr Trump] too, keeps claiming that they have brought aircraft carriers and warplanes. The Iranian people should not and will not be frightened by such things.
"We are not the ones who start a war and we do not want to attack any country, but if America attacks or harms Iran the Iranian nation will deliver a strong blow and any war started by America will spread across the region."
When the US president was asked during a flight to Florida on Saturday night what his "final decision" would be on Iran, declined to answer.
He said: "I certainly can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction, as you know. I can't tell you, you know. But I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable."
Mr Trump was also asked whether Tehran would be emboldened by the US backing off.
He replied: "Well, some people think that and some people don't. And if you could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons they should do that. But I don't know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us."
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General Amir Hatami, Iran's regular army commander-in-chief, struck a defiant tone in response.
He said: "Thanks Allah today we are at a high level of military and defensive readiness. We are closely watching enemies' movement in the region.
"They are under complete surveillance by us. And since we are aware of their evil intentions, our fingers are on the trigger.
"If they make a mistake, without doubt they will endanger their security, the security of their forces, the security of the region, and the security of the criminal Zionist regime."
In Tehran's parliament the mood was similarly combative, with the speaker telling the assembly that European Union military forces were now terrorist groups in the eyes of the Islamic republic.
It comes after the EU designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist faction over its bloody crackdown on protesters.
Others were more conciliatory. Ali Larijani, a top security official in Iran, wrote on Saturday that "structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing" in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
However, Khamenei, 86, has repeatedly ruled out direct talks with the US.
With tensions mounting, Iran faced two explosions on Saturday, though its government denies a military leader was targeted.
One blast happened at Iran's southern port of Bandar Abbas. A four-year-old girl was killed and a further 14 people were injured.
A second blast, more than 1,000 kilometres away in Ahvaz, saw five people killed, state media reported.