US Refuses to Rule Out Further Military Action Against Iran

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that the Trump administration is pursuing both diplomatic and military options in the ongoing conflict with Iran. He declined to rule out further escalation after the deployment of a third US aircraft carrier to the region.
Asked on CBS News whether the expected arrival of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Middle East next month signals plans to escalate after the midterm elections, Wright declined to discuss President Trump’s specific plans. He said the president always plans for contingencies and is always negotiating, and that both tracks, diplomatic and military, remain active.
Wright said there is no guarantee Iran will refrain from further attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure, which could push already elevated fuel prices higher. He said diesel prices have been hit particularly hard, worsened by reduced Chinese exports of refined fuel. G7 countries have agreed to release 100 million barrels from strategic reserves over four months, initially focused on diesel. Wright expects prices to fall below $6 a gallon, though no firm timeline has been set.
Separately, Ali Fadavi, advisory commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned that if Washington launches a ground attack, Iran will target all US military bases and ships in the region. Speaking on Iranian state television, he said Iran would strike every site linked to the Americans. He said Iran’s military production now exceeds its consumption and that Tehran has prepared rules with Oman for managing the Strait of Hormuz. He also said Iran has never attacked a Muslim country, only US bases located within them.