Tehran Threatens to Spread War Outside Middle East in Response to Trump's Threats

The IRGC issued a sharp warning against expanding the war beyond the Middle East, in the event of a repeat of the "aggression" on Iranian territory. "If the aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will extend this time far beyond the region, and our destructive strikes will crush you," he said in a statement published on the Sepah News website. In return, US President Donald Trump repeated His threats of new military action, stressing that the United States is still in control of the initiative. “I hope we don't have to go to war again, but we may have to deal them another big blow,” Trump said, noting that Iran is coming to negotiations and “begging for a deal.” As the verbal escalation continues, Pakistani-mediated diplomatic efforts to end the war continue. Pakistan's interior minister flew Wednesday to Iran for the first time The second in a week, with the aim of "facilitating" negotiations between Tehran and Washington, according to the official IRNA agency. US Vice President Jay de Vance confirmed "good progress" in the negotiations, but stressed the readiness of the US military to resume the war as a "second option" in the event of failure to reach an agreement. The positions of Washington and Tehran remain very far apart, especially on the nuclear issue. Trump faces domestic pressure over rising costs Energy, as the truce in force since April 8 did not lead to the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war was a crossing for a fifth of global oil and liquefied gas production. Rising fuel prices have caused global economic pressures, most recently in Kenya where transport has stalled and violence has left four people dead and 30 injured.