TEHERÁN — Iranian officials issued new military threats following a recent ceasefire and renewed U.S. strikes, escalating rhetoric amid ongoing regional tensions. The United States launched its second round of attacks against Iran in a matter of days, even as U.S. officials stated on Thursday that a tentative agreement had been reached in Tehran-Washington talks pending approval by former President Donald Trump.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any new conflict would extend “much more beyond the region,” threatening to inflict “devastating blows” in places adversaries “cannot even imagine.” Separately, the Iranian army threatened to open “new fronts” using “new tools” in response to any further aggression. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi cautioned that future retaliation “would include many more surprises.”

Araghchi’s remarks came as skirmishes continued in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday night, raising concerns over global energy security. During a prior war, Iran attacked U.S. bases, Israeli cities, and critical infrastructure in Arab Gulf states, and at one point effectively blocked maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a global energy crisis.

Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of Iran’s National Security Committee, declared that if the U.S. struck Iranian oil facilities, Tehran would respond by targeting oil wells in Arab Gulf states. “If they intend to do something to leave us without oil, we will not attack their pipelines; we will attack the wells so they also run out of oil and fuel prices rise globally,” Ardestani said, according to Iranian media.

Following the April 8 ceasefire, the United Arab Emirates blamed Iran-aligned groups in Iraq for an attack on Abu Dhabi’s nuclear facility, while Saudi Arabia reported drone strikes originating from Iraq. Despite these incidents, no Iranian attacks on schools or universities were reported, even though Tehran had issued evacuation warnings to U.S. educational facilities in the region.

Nicole Grajewski, adjunct professor at Sciences Po’s Center for International Studies in Paris, downplayed Iran’s threat of “surprises,” noting that Iranian weaponry is well known. “They certainly have a range exceeding 2,000 kilometers (about 1,200 miles), but it would not be any new weapon,” Grajewski said.