Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has issued a chilling warning to the British Royal Family and threatened military bases in the UK, after Donald Trump said he was “close to a decision” on launching a “massive attack” against Tehran. The IRGC press release declared that “any base used to invade Iranian territory is our legitimate target” before singling out the monarchy as “the main cause of the misfortunes of the people of our region” and urging it not to “burden its case any further.”
The threat came as the US president told Axios he was considering strikes “bigger than ever before” on Iran, adding: “They haven't received enough pain yet.” US Central Command confirmed that American forces had “completed another round of strikes against Iran for the 12th consecutive night.” Trump acknowledged that a decision would have consequences, but said Israel “would join in two minutes if I ask them to.”
“Iran threatens British monarchy as Trump says he's close to deciding on 'massive attack' bigger than ever before.”
The remarks pushed oil prices past $100 a barrel again, with Brent crude surging as Houthi attacks on two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea threatened a second major maritime route. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, told the security council that the Middle East was being pushed to the “edge of the unimaginable.” “The situation is getting out of control,” he said. “One crisis feeds another. One escalation triggers the next.”
The UK has already withdrawn diplomatic staff from Iran, and the German military announced it would pull two vessels from the Red Sea. Reacting to the IRGC’s specific mention of RAF Fairford – which Tehran claimed was used in a recent US attack – a government spokesperson said: “Our armed forces are ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it’s on our soil or from abroad. The UK stands ready 24-7 to defend itself.”
With more US special forces and fighter jets heading to the region, and Israeli cities opening bomb shelters, the US state department warned Americans in the area that flights may be cancelled. Trump also clarified that any US help for Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear programme would require the kingdom to normalise ties with Israel – a condition he had not yet discussed with Riyadh. As the region teeters on the brink, the question remains whether the president’s “massive attack” will be the next escalation in a conflict that Guterres warned is spinning out of control.