Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a stern warning on Saturday, stating that Tehran would set its sights on U.S. bases in the region if American forces were to initiate an attack, as reported by Reuters.
This declaration followed Araghchi’s comments on Friday, where he described recent indirect nuclear discussions with the United States in Oman as “a good start” and noted that there was a mutual understanding that these talks would continue.
Araghchi emphasized to Al Jazeera that, while it might not be feasible to strike American soil directly, Iran would focus on U.S. military installations located in the region if provoked. “Our response will be aimed at U.S. bases in neighboring countries, not the countries themselves. This distinction is significant,” he clarified.
In related developments, a photograph released by the U.S. Navy shows Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Michael Cordova directing an F/A-18F Super Hornet on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. This Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, currently positioned in the Middle East, made headlines earlier this week when it successfully shot down an Iranian drone over the Indian Ocean on January 23, 2026. (Photo credit: Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/U.S. Navy via AP)
Previously, in June, the United States launched a targeted strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, an operation that has since been dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer.
The U.S. last June attacked nuclear facilities in Iran, in what has come to be known as Operation Midnight Hammer.
In response, Iran launched a retaliatory attack on Al-Udeid, the American airbase in Qatar, which President Donald Trump characterized at the time as a “very weak response.”
“Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered. There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
President Donald Trump gestures while delivering remarks to U.S. troops during a visit to Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, on May 15, 2025. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)
Regarding Friday’s nuclear talks, Araghchi said, “It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed.”
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi met with both Iranian and American officials on Friday, the Foreign Ministry of Oman said on X. The ministry said that al-Busaidi held separate meetings with Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi speaks in the northern city of Rasht, Iran, on Nov. 18, 2025. (Shadati/Xinhua via Getty Images)
“The consultations focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations, while emphasizing their importance, in light of the parties’ determination to ensure their success in achieving sustainable security and stability,” the Foreign Ministry of Oman said.
