Iran is preparing a harsher retaliation if attacked, according to Iranian officials

Iran is preparing a broader and more powerful retaliation in case the United States resumes large-scale military attacks, Reuters reports, citing three senior Iranian officials and an insider source familiar with the discussions. At the same time, Tehran is continuing a diplomatic effort that Iranian officials privately view as unlikely to succeed.

According to the sources, senior military commanders are considering plans to expand possible targets beyond assets linked to the U.S. — to countries that support American military operations and, possibly, to targets outside the Middle East. Since President Masoud Pezeshkian returned from New York last week, commanders and senior officials have focused on the scope and timing of any retaliation if Washington attacks again.

Two of the officials said Tehran has instructed its allied groups in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq to be ready to support Iran in the event of a renewed large-scale American attack. A final decision has not yet been made, but planning has intensified, as neither side shows signs of readiness for compromise.

Iran is also weighing the political risks that a prolonged conflict poses for President Trump: polls show the war has been unpopular with Americans, while higher fuel prices remain a concern ahead of the midterm elections. “They seem determined not to respond symbolically to a symbolic move, but to escalate in the hope of restoring deterrence,” Hamidreza Azizi, a senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group, told Reuters.

The discussions come after seven months of conflict, which began with the U.S.-Israeli attacks of February 28. Although the April 8 ceasefire ended the 40-day war, clashes have continued sporadically since then, while the U.S. has strengthened its military presence in the region.