Iran's supreme leader has warned of an "immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response" if the US and Israel resume attacks, wording that Fox News read as possibly reaching US bases across the region and even in Europe.

Khamenei made the statement on Telegram on Saturday. It names no country. He also ordered the armed forces to widen the target list to all US and Israeli assets, tangible and intangible, so a broader geography fits the order even though he does not spell it out.

The threat carries weight because the means look close to hand. Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran has drawn up detailed target lists, including undersea communications cables and military bases, some of them covert. Four European officials told the agency the US has enough forces in place to strike at short notice, possibly this week. Axios reported on Sunday that the Pentagon holds a three-day strike plan and that Netanyahu pressed Trump on a Saturday call to resume strikes once the midterms end.

Anews reported that Trump told an Iowa rally on Sunday the US may have to "give them the hammer".

Meanwhile Tehran still rejects Washington's Hormuz plan and says it is not ready for nuclear negotiations. The dispute over how to sequence steps on Hormuz is therefore unresolved, and with both sides preparing for a resumption, the threat rather than the diplomacy is the live variable.

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