Iran warns regional oil exports are at risk as IRGC says it is developing new weapons

Iran has warned that any attempt to obstruct its energy exports could have consequences for the wider region, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it is developing and mass-producing new weapons. The remarks came on Tuesday in separate public statements by senior political and military figures, adding to already elevated tensions between Tehran and Washington. The comments were framed as deterrence messaging rather than a report of a new military strike.

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Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in an online parliamentary session that if Iran cannot sell its oil, no one in the region will be able to sell oil. He also said that if Iran's security is not guaranteed, no infrastructure will be safe, and warned Washington against what he called miscalculations. In a separate press conference with foreign media, IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi described US President Donald Trump as a liar and said US forces should leave the Middle East.

Mohebi said the IRGC was continuously designing new weapons, upgrading existing ones and mass-producing armaments to defend itself. He added that if confrontations take on a different shape, new weapons would be brought into the field. Ebrahim Azizi, who heads parliament's National Security Committee, separately said Iran was fully prepared for a conflict more intense than what he described as the 40-day war.

The statements were presented as part of Iran's broader posture of readiness and retaliation. The warnings matter because they link Iran's oil exports to regional energy security at a time when Gulf shipping and infrastructure remain sensitive to escalation. Iran is a major oil producer, and any threat to exports or maritime routes can quickly affect markets and neighbouring states.

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The comments also underline how Tehran continues to use energy leverage and military signalling together in its confrontation with the United States. Mohebi said US military bases were the only source of insecurity in the region and pointed to long-standing bonds with 15 neighbouring countries. He also rejected claims that Iran was weeks away from building a nuclear weapon, calling them a repeated lie.

The remarks come against the backdrop of strained regional relations after earlier strikes and retaliatory actions that included attacks on neighbouring territory, disruption of shipping and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Those earlier developments have complicated Iran's ties with Gulf states, even as officials in Tehran insist their targets are solely US military assets. A diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates has said trust damaged by attacks in the Gulf would take years to rebuild.

What remains unclear is whether the latest statements are intended mainly as political signalling or whether they point to further military or economic measures. The next developments to watch are any response from Washington, any movement in regional oil markets, and whether Iran follows its warnings with concrete action.

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