Iran readies harder retaliation if attacked as diplomacy faces long odds

Iran is preparing a broader and more forceful response if the United States resumes large-scale military attacks, sources said, while continuing a diplomatic push that Iranian officials privately see as unlikely to succeed.

The planning reflects a conviction within Iran's ​leadership that any renewed US campaign must be met with a stronger response than before, even as Tehran seeks to avert escalation through talks.

Senior commanders are reviewing plans to expand potential targets ‌beyond US-linked assets to countries that support US military operations and possibly to locations outside the Middle East, according to three senior Iranian officials and an insider familiar with the discussions.

Since President Masoud Pezeshkian returned from New York last week, commanders and senior officials have focused on the scope and timing of any response if Washington strikes again.

No final decision has been made, but planning has intensified as neither side shows signs of willingness to compromise.

The deliberations follow seven months of conflict that began with US-Israeli attacks on February 28. Although an April ​8 ceasefire ended the 40-day war, hostilities have continued sporadically since then.