US President Donald Trump has pursued the war against Iran through improvisation, contradictory messaging and without a coherent strategic plan or clear exit strategy, a Chinese analyst has argued, saying the conflict has instead strengthened Iran’s regional position while exposing weaknesses in US power.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of Iran’s negotiating team, has warned that any US attack on Iranian assets would draw retaliation against American oil and gas interests in the region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the latest wave of US coercive measures against Iran is directed not only at Tehran but also at the international community, the UN Charter and free trade.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has warned South Korea against any military involvement in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, saying such a move would amount to direct support for the aggressor and carry serious consequences.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei ​​​​​​has rejected Washington’s attempt to blame Tehran for disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the United States started an unlawful war and is now trying to send the world the bill.

Iran’s top security official has announced that a new restricted zone will be declared outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, warning that any vessel entering the area without coordination with Tehran will be placed on an Iranian sanctions list.

Iran’s highest-ranking military official said the country would not surrender and that US and Israeli efforts to compensate for their strategic setbacks through economic pressure and cognitive and information warfare would also fail.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the United States must understand that the “rules of the game have changed,” warning that any further aggression against Iran’s interests and security will draw a “faster, heavier and more painful” response.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it targeted a remotely operated US military vessel that was attempting to enter a protected area of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi held separate phone calls with his Saudi and Turkish counterparts on Saturday evening to discuss bilateral issues, regional developments and the latest diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring stability in the region.