Iran Warns Of ‘Crushing’ Response To Threats As Tensions With US Rise

Last Updated:February 10, 2026, 14:47 IST

Tehran and Washington resumed talks in Muscat last week, months after earlier negotiations collapsed following Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran last June.

Iran’s armed forces general staff on Tuesday warned that the country would respond forcefully to any “threat, plot, and excessive demand," signalling a hardening stance amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.

In a statement, the armed forces said they would “stand powerfully and with steadfastness" and would meet any threat “with a more crushing and broader response." The statement also urged Iranians to participate in rallies marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The warning comes as diplomatic tensions rise ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, where discussions are expected to focus on US negotiations with Iran. Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei cautioned against what he described as “destructive influences" on diplomacy, saying the US must act independently of external pressures.

“Our negotiating party is America. It is up to America to decide to act independently of the pressures and destructive influences that are detrimental to the region," Baqaei said, accusing Israel of opposing diplomatic efforts in West Asia.

Tehran and Washington resumed talks in Muscat last week, months after earlier negotiations collapsed following Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran last June, which escalated into a 12-day conflict. During the hostilities, Israel targeted senior Iranian military officials, nuclear scientists and key nuclear facilities, while the US later carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Iran responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel and by targeting the largest US military base in the region, located in Qatar.

Baqaei said Iran remains committed to securing its national interests through diplomacy, but stressed that talks would remain limited to the nuclear issue in exchange for sanctions relief. Tehran has repeatedly rejected negotiations extending beyond its nuclear programme, even as Netanyahu has called for curbs on Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for allied armed groups in the region.

The renewed tensions also follow the deployment of a US aircraft carrier group to the region and Iran’s recent crackdown on anti-government protests triggered by rising living costs, which Tehran has blamed on foreign interference.

News world Iran Warns Of ‘Crushing’ Response To Threats As Tensions With US Rise

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