Tehran vows to use powerful missiles, rejects Trump talks

Tehran has vowed to deploy more powerful missiles as it rejected calls for negotiations with US President Donald Trump, even as the conflict with Israel and the United States intensifies across the Middle East.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dismissed US claims that its missile programme had been destroyed, saying the country continues to deploy projectiles in larger numbers and with warheads weighing more than one tonne.

The remarks come amid heavy bombardment in the Iranian capital. Reports from Tehran said some of the most intense attacks of the war struck the city overnight, with at least 40 people killed near Risalat Square.

Iran has continued counterattacks on Israel and US-linked targets across the region, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. One person was killed in Manama, while two people died in central Israel following missile strikes.

Despite the escalation, Trump suggested the war could end “very soon” but warned that the US would strike Iran “20 times harder” if Tehran attempts to disrupt oil shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, hostilities have also intensified on Israel’s northern border, where Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters continue to exchange fire, pushing the regional death toll higher as the conflict widens across the Middle East.