Iranian military commanders have spent the past month intensifying public warnings, claiming they have established significant stockpiles of advanced weaponry ready to deploy against international targets if the United States resumes the conflict that began in February. Officials in Tehran have openly threatened to expand their operations, suggesting potential strikes against undersea internet cables, artificial intelligence data centers, and critical regional oil and gas infrastructure.
Hossein Mohebbi, a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, stated late last month that the world would be amazed by the scale of the response. He asserted that the organization has identified new, previously unattacked targets and emphasized that they have prepared for a long-term conflict, stating, “The war is not over.”
Nine months after the initial US and Israeli military operations began, the conflict has reached a stalemate. While the Trump administration continues to experiment with various military and economic strategies to force a capitulation, Tehran remains defiant. Both parties have laid claim to a degree of victory, with Washington citing damage to the regime and Iran focusing on its own survival. The conflict has stagnated into a stalemate that has left everyone uncertain about Trump’s endgame and the world grappling with economic unrest, nearly nine months after the US and Israel launched their war on Iran. Which it accuses of colluding with Washington, iran’s retaliation focused mostly on its Arab neighbors.
Ordinary citizens in Tehran are bracing for a potential escalation. One 70-year-old resident described a daily routine of stocking supplies and charging power banks, fearing that bombing campaigns could restart at any moment. Others expressed deep fatigue with the cycle of tension, noting that the constant discussion of impending war makes it impossible to find respite. Residents interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe their fears of the ongoing instability. According to “Every single day and every night, we’re waiting for the bombing to start again,” a 70-year-old Tehran resident, Last week. “I’ve charged all my power banks, stocked up on water, and got everything ready, because. Another resident in Tehran told, iranians are “convinced” war is going to restart. You can’t even take a break,” the resident told, i think it makes it worse that there areall this conversation about it. “It’s all anyone can talk about…you just have it in the back of your head, is tonight the night.
Behind the scenes in Washington, White House advisers are actively discussing future options. While President Trump publicly stated he would not take new actions before the upcoming midterm elections, sources indicate that this position remains fluid. Military planners have reportedly developed new strike options, including the potential deployment of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, often referred to as the “mother of all bombs,” to target Iranian energy and nuclear infrastructure. “I would like to know exactly what else the US is planning to bomb?” she said. “They couldn’t even take (the Iranian leadership) out. Past streets where Revolutionary Guards are visible, and military bases remain active, a mother of two described to the fear she lives with as she sends her children to school each morning. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb or MOAB is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal and would mark a notable escalation. According to while Trump announced publicly that he would not take new actions before the midterm elections, several advisers, Privately they didn’t know whether that statement was definitive or could change before election day on November 3. The only maritime waterway used by neighboring nations to export oil, before striking civilian infrastructure across Arab cities, iran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Dubai, a major tourist destination, was targeted, water plants in Kuwait were hit, and attacks on data centers disrupted banking services in several countries across the region.
Iranian leadership has dismissed these reports as psychological warfare. Alireza Sheikh, an army commander, remarked that such threats are merely tools intended to intimidate the population, declaring that the Iranian people themselves are the true “father of all bombs.” Tehran has also signaled a shift toward a more aggressive, pre-emptive military doctrine. Recent state-reported exercises included a simultaneous launch of 30 ballistic missiles, underscoring this tactical pivot.
Regional security analysts, such as Farzin Nadimi of The Washington Institute, warn that an emboldened Tehran could potentially attempt to use long-range missiles against international assets, including US airbases in England or logistics hubs in Ramstein, Germany. Although Iran has not yet demonstrated the capability to deploy sophisticated, AI-enabled drone swarms, observers note that such technology is part of their stated developmental goals. Iran is also seeking to refine its cruise missile capabilities with supersonic propulsion to evade regional air defense systems. “However, Iran would likely reserve that possibility to a very top level of escalation,” Nadimi said. According to to increase their chances of hitting targets, Nadimi, Iran may potentially launch more sophisticated and coordinated swarms of AI-enabled drones fitted with cameras and datalinks that can communicate with each other, adjust flight paths and speed to evade jamming and air defenses. “Tehran wants to make clear that the next round will be fought on a much wider battlefield, with fewer restraints and potentially more lethal consequences,” Vaez said. “But the danger is that what Iran intends as deterre. Iran fired more than 2,500 missiles and drones on the United Arab Emirates alone, more than any other country, including Israel.
The US military took precautionary steps earlier this month, relocating long-range bombers from the United Kingdom to domestic bases following the discovery of a security threat. British authorities have since arrested several individuals linked to a plot targeting that specific airbase. Despite these regional tensions, experts like Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group suggest that Iranian commanders are primarily focused on using these threats to raise the potential cost of an attack, aiming to deter further US intervention.
