Jokar, speaking to Iran International, called for the suspension of Iran’s cooperation with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in the event of a US attack. He stated that countries hosting US forces in their territories or airspace would face a “harsh response.” While the Pentagon has stated that up to 90% of Iran’s drones, missiles, and naval industry was destroyed in recent operations, including Operation Roaring Lion and Operation Epic Fury, analysts told the WSJ that Iran retains significant deterrent capabilities. Estimates suggest Iran holds hundreds of thousands of ballistic missiles, having resumed production in underground facilities.
The threats come as negotiations between the US and Iran have been deadlocked for months. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that failure to reach an agreement could result in US attacks after the midterm elections in early November. Israel has also stepped up preparations for potential strikes, with conflicting reports indicating the Israel Defense Forces were planning an attack on October 10 before being restrained by Washington. In the most recent bout of conflict, significant damage was inflicted on US air bases, embassies, and fleets, alongside energy and industrial facilities in the UAE, Qatar, Dubai, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in an op-ed for the Financial Times that new attacks would put civilian lives and the global economy at great risk. Analysts note that Tehran aims to exploit the pressure on interceptor missile stockpiles in Israel and US-aligned Gulf nations. Sina Toossi, an Iran expert at the Center for International Policy, said the consensus in Tehran is that deterrence requires imposing immediate, sustained, and substantial costs on adversaries. However, Saeid Golkarat, an expert on the Revolutionary Guard, assessed that Iran runs the risk of overreaching if it tries to make good on all its threats, noting the country must carefully manage its shrinking missile stockpile.
Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, stated that Iran certainly has the capability to inflict major damage to the region’s energy and internet infrastructure. He added that if Iran proceeds with such attacks, it would most likely lose its own infrastructure in reciprocal attacks. The situation remains tense as both sides prepare for potential escalation, with the next major diplomatic or military decision expected to coincide with the upcoming US midterm elections.
