Tehran threatens Oil blockade as US intensifies strikes

On the 11th day of the escalating conflict, the United States signalled a major intensification of its military campaign against Iran, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warning that Washington was preparing for its “most intense day of airstrikes” yet.

He also cautioned that the attacks could escalate further if Tehran continues efforts to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran swiftly responded with a stark warning of its own, declaring that it would not allow “even one litre of oil” to leave the Middle East as long as US and Israeli strikes continue.

Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf echoed similar narrative of not coming to table with US as it always attacks Iran whenever they are in negotiations.The Speaker said that Iran will not agree to a ceasefire until it teaches the attackers a lesson so that they no longer think about repeated military actions against Tehran.

“We categorically do not seek a ceasefire. We are convinced that the aggressor should be slapped in the face so that he learns his lesson and never thinks about aggression against dear Iran again,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.

Iran intends to break the circle of “war-negotiations-truce and then war again,” he said.

Terming Iran’s experience of negotiating with the United States as “bitter,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of renewed diplomatic negotiations with Washington, accusing the US of repeated betrayals and military aggression.

In an interview with PBS, Araghchi said Iran no longer considers dialogue with the US a viable option. “I don’t think the question of talking with Americans or negotiating with them will be on the table anymore,” he said. “We have a very bitter experience of talking with the Americans.”

Reflecting on earlier diplomatic engagements, Araghchi claimed that Tehran had negotiated in good faith but was met with renewed hostility. According to him, Iran had entered talks last June but faced military action during the negotiation process.

“We negotiated with them last year, and they attacked us in the middle of negotiations,” he said. “Again this year they tried to convince us that things would be different, promising they had no intention to attack and wanted a peaceful solution to Iran’s nuclear issue.”

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran responded by striking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East.

The warning came as oil prices surged and then fell sharply amid growing tensions. President Donald Trump threatened Iran with “death, fire and fury” if it disrupts the critical oil route.

A senior Iranian security official, Ali Larijani, issued a thinly veiled threat to Trump, saying the Iranian people do not fear US threats and cautioning Washington to “beware, lest you are the ones who are eliminated.”

Hegseth said US operations would reach a new level of intensity.“Today will once again be our most intense day of strikes inside Iran — the most fighters, the most bombers and the most strikes,” he said, adding that U.S. intelligence targeting is now more precise than ever.

He also claimed Iran’s retaliation has weakened, noting that Tehran fired fewer missiles in the past 24 hours than at any point in the conflict so far.

Hegseth argued that Iran is becoming increasingly isolated.

“Iran stands alone, and they are badly losing,” he said, adding that many of its regional partners have distanced themselves. He also claimed Iran-aligned groups, Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthis, are now weakened, ineffective or largely inactive.

Despite the escalating attacks, there are conflicting signals from the U.S. administration about how long the war may last.

Trump has suggested the conflict could end soon, describing it as a “short-term excursion.” But Hegseth said he could not predict whether the war is just beginning or nearing its conclusion.

“Ultimately, the president determines the end state,” Hegseth said. “But this is not endless, and it’s not a protracted mission.”

He emphasized that the operation has clearly defined objectives, insisting it would not turn into a prolonged military campaign like the Iraq War.

“Our generation of soldiers will not allow that to happen again,” he said.

The war is already affecting the broader region and global economy. Iran has reportedly targeted oil-rich Gulf states to push up energy prices and increase pressure to end the conflict.

Meanwhile, markets in Europe and Asia rebounded after Trump suggested the war might soon be over, while world leaders continue urging restraint.

Iran says the war has already killed more than 1,255 people and injured about 10,000, with recent strikes hitting residential areas and oil facilities in Tehran.

Despite the bombardment, thousands of supporters rallied in the capital to show backing for Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Moreover, the world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Aramco, has warned that ongoing conflict disrupting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz could have catastrophic consequences for the global economy.

Iran’s military says its drones have targeted fuel storage tanks in the Israeli city of Haifa, in retaliation for Israel’s bombing of oil facilities in Tehran.

“Destructive drones” attacked “the oil and gas refinery and fuel storage tanks” in the northern Israeli city, according to a statement by the Iranian army published by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

That was “in response to the attack on Iran’s oil storage facilities,” that shrouded the country’s capital in black smoke and toxic rain this weekend, it said.

“The battle against the criminal United States and the child-killing Zionist regime,” it added, referring to Israel, “will continue until the final victory of the front of truth over falsehood.”