Motorists drive vehicles near a large political banner, depicting missiles being fired behind Iranian demonstrators in solidarity with the government, at Valiasr Square in Tehran on April 6, 2026.
Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday issued a strongly worded statement threatening to extend the Middle East conflict “beyond the region” if the U.S. and Israel resume attacks against Tehran.
In the event the aggression against Iran is repeated, “the regional war that was promised will this time be extended beyond the region, and our crushing blows will bring you to ruin in places you cannot imagine,” The Guard said, according to a statement reported by the country’s semiofficial Mehr news agency.
The comments come shortly after some mixed messages from the Trump administration on the prospect of a deal to resolve the Iran war.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday told lawmakers at the White House that Washington would end the conflict with Tehran “very quickly,” claiming that Iran was eager to reach an agreement.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in a separate press briefing that neither Trump nor Tehran wanted the military campaign to restart, describing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran as in a “pretty good” place.
“This is not a forever war. We’re going to take care of business and come home,” Vance said Tuesday, when asked about the length of the conflict.
Trump had earlier threatened further military action against Iran, saying the country had two or three days, or perhaps until Sunday or early next week, to come to the negotiating table.
The U.S. president also said he had been “an hour away” from deciding whether to attack Iran on Tuesday, before he was persuaded to postpone the strike.
This photo obtained by AFP from the Iranian news agency Tasnim shows an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) boat allegedly taking part in an operation to seize ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, on April 21, 2026.
Meysam Mirzadeh | Afp | Getty Images
The Iran war has been stuck in an uneasy stalemate for weeks, as a ceasefire remains active but the two sides grapple for control over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
Typically, about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping traffic has virtually halted since the war began on Feb. 28.
Trump has repeatedly threatened further military action against Iran, only to delay deadlines he’s set. The war, which has dragged on far longer than the Trump administration’s initial four-to-six-week timeline, is viewed negatively by growing majorities of Americans, according to recent polls.
— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger contributed to this report.