Iran has threatened a new wave of intensified military actions against the United States and Israel, vowing "more crushing, broader and more destructive" attacks, following a televised warning by US President Donald Trump that he would bomb the country "back to the Stone Ages." Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters, issued the response through semi-official Tasnim news agency, stating Tehran would continue operations until the US and Israel faced "permanent regret and surrender." Trump delivered his remarks in a prime-time address from the White House on 1 April 2026, asserting the US was "very close" to achieving its objectives but would escalate attacks if Iran did not agree to a negotiated settlement. He offered few new details during the 20-minute speech, repeating previous statements while attempting to justify the ongoing military campaign to a war-weary American public.
The conflict has drawn in Gulf states previously seen as stable, with the United Arab Emirates activating air defences against drone and missile threats. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, a flashpoint in the crisis, with Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowing to keep it shut to "enemies" and Trump demanding its reopening as a condition for ceasefire. One-fifth of the world's oil typically passes through the strait, and its closure has triggered global economic strain. British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper emphasized the urgency of reopening the waterway, while French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed any military effort to do so as "unrealistic." China, a major oil importer via the route, accused the US and Israel of being the "root cause" of the blockage. Oil prices surged after Trump's speech, stock markets fell, and global ripple effects intensified. The World Bank's Managing Director Paschal Donohoe expressed deep concern over inflation, job losses, and food security risks. Civil servants in Malaysia are now working from home, Chinese airlines plan fuel surcharge increases, and even Bhutan has raised fuel prices due to "external conditions beyond our control."
When Trump says he will bomb Iran "back to the Stone Ages," he is not making a strategic declaration but exposing the limits of brute-force rhetoric in a globally entangled conflict. Zolfaqari's vow of "more crushing" attacks is not mere posturing—it signals a deliberate escalation calibrated to exploit the economic vulnerabilities exposed by the Strait of Hormuz closure. The fact that Bhutan and Malaysia are already adjusting fuel and work policies shows this war is no longer regional but a direct assault on global supply resilience. Any resolution will require more than threats—it will demand recognition that no nation, not even a superpower, can unilaterally control the consequences of cutting off a fifth of the world's oil.
