Trump weighs fresh strikes targeting Iran

Hostilities have continued to roil the Middle East, with the United States signaling it may launch fresh strikes on Iran, while Tehran has issued a defiant warning of a "crushing response" to any attack.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said, "This should have been done a long time ago by other presidents. The Iran war — and we've knocked the hell out of them, and we may do it a little bit further."

He signaled action could come soon, noting the US was not engaged in negotiations with Iran. "I think we're not negotiating with — we are going to have something one way or the other. It'll happen fairly soon," he said. But he did not specify a target, timetable or the scale of any additional operation.

In response, the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces said Tehran's response will be "crushing and decisive" if it is attacked again. "We are ready to deliver a crushing and decisive response to the enemy," Ali Abdollahi said in a post on X.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran's objective is not to escalate the conflict but "end the war under conditions that reduce the likelihood of another war". He had earlier warned that Tehran would target oil facilities and undersea cables across the Gulf if full-scale hostilities resumed.

Iran's state television reported on Thursday that seven oil tankers were either struck in attacks or hit naval mines overnight in the Strait of Hormuz. If verified, this would mark the largest single-day toll of damaged vessels in the waterway since conflict broke out on Feb 28.

Trita Parsi, executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said Iran's stated shift from a defensive military doctrine to an "asymmetrically offensive posture" will likely mean inflicting high costs on the US and its allies, making further strikes politically untenable.

"Tehran does not believe that additional concessions will prevent an Israeli-US attack, given the fact that it has already been bombed twice after offering major concessions in negotiations. The Iranians will no longer respond to attacks in a proportional manner, but rather will take the initiative to launch attacks if the US decides to restart the war," he told Al Jazeera.

Near Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates temporarily closed all beaches and coastal areas in Umm Al Quwain emirate following a marine pollution incident caused by a tanker oil spill.

In a statement, the UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said monitoring systems had detected the spill, which also caused unusual odors reported by residents in Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain.

Oil facility hit

Meanwhile, fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis also intensified. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group on Thursday targeted a facility of Saudi state oil company Aramco in Yanbu that ignited a fire, as well as the Saudi Defense Ministry in Riyadh and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, where Saudi authorities said two people were killed.

There was no immediate Saudi confirmation of attacks in Riyadh and Yanbu. And Aramco on Thursday told staff members to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran, six sources told Reuters. All remaining essential employees were instructed to work from home until further notice.

The decision marked a further tightening of security measures at one of Saudi Arabia's most important energy institutions as concerns grow over threats to critical infrastructure in the region.

Oil prices have remained near five-month highs, with Brent trading at about $113 a barrel on Friday.

Agencies contributed to this story.