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Iran’s Guards threaten to hit new targets with new weapons if US attacks

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The Straits Times. (2026, September 21). Iran’s Guards threaten to hit new targets with new weapons if US attacks. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/irans-guards-threaten-to-hit-new-targets-with-new-weapons-if-us-attacks

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

The Straits Times · collected 2026-09-21 · by The Straits Times

Quick Summary

On September 21, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to use new weapons against different targets if the US were to attack again. A spokesman for the corps stated that Iran is prepared to introduce innovative weaponry in response to any further aggression and suggested readiness for a prolonged conflict. The statement comes amid ongoing tensions but recent easing of hostilities between the two countries, following a spike in August.
Written by AI on 2026-09-21, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

As of September 2026, President Donald Trump told reporters that the U.S. is "hopefully toward the end" of its ongoing war with Iran, which began on February 28 and has lasted for seven months. Despite this hopeful statement, there are no clear timelines or significant de-escalation efforts in sight. The conflict continues to disrupt global oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up oil prices to over $108 per barrel. Additionally, Iran's foreign minister is under pressure from China and international concerns to reopen the strait and return to a previous interim peace deal with the U.S.

Meanwhile, tensions have escalated beyond Iran into Yemen, where Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, pose significant threats near the Red Sea, complicating efforts at regional stability. The conflict has also drawn in other nations such as Saudi Arabia, which is offering extra crude oil through Oman to ease supply disruptions and stabilize oil prices.

At the United Nations General Assembly, Trump further alarmed global leaders by threatening to "annihilate" Iran if necessary, raising concerns about the potential for catastrophic outcomes involving nuclear weapons. This rhetoric contrasts sharply with past U.S. presidents who emphasized caution regarding such extreme measures. Despite these challenges, there is an urgent need for multilateral solutions and effective engagement through international bodies like the UN to address ongoing conflicts and crises around the world.

Written for “Trump's UN Speech Controversies” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 206 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Trump's UN Speech Controversies
Politics · 207 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 8% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Al Jazeera
Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 60/100
Al Jazeera
Hedges 1 of 19 claims Outlet record 60/100
CBS News
Hedges 4 of 42 claims Outlet record 66/100
NBC News
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 2 of 27 claims Outlet record 60/100
Al Jazeera
Hedges 1 of 5 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different events on consecutive days with distinct statements from Iran's Revolutionary Guards.”
The Independent
Hedges 4 of 40 claims Outlet record 59/100
“The articles describe different statements and meetings between Iran and the US occurring on separate days.”
New York Post
⚖️ Leans strongly left Hedges 0 of 26 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different events occurring on different dates: Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatening new targets and weapons if attacked by the US on September 21, versus President Trump's threat to annihilate Iran at the UN General Assembly on September 23.”
The Guardian
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 3 of 29 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different stages of an ongoing tension between Iran and the US, with Article A reporting on initial claims and warnings, while Article B reports on subsequent threats by Iran's Guards.”
ABC News (US)
Hedges 0 of 6 claims Outlet record 70/100
“The articles refer to different statements made by Iranian officials on consecutive days.”
The Independent
Hedges 4 of 56 claims Outlet record 59/100
“The articles describe different events occurring on different dates involving distinct speakers and contexts.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
12
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
8%
1 of 12 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
66/100
The Straits Times's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
207
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-21 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Straits Times · 4060 article(s) · 5 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 5 correction(s)

Who wrote this

The Straits Times
2562 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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Also by The Straits Times
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 2562 articles by The Straits Times →

Topics

Guards Iran Revolutionary Guards Saudi TEHRAN

Subjects

Iran GPE · 7× TEHRAN GPE · 4× Guards ORG · 2× Saudi NORP · 2× Houthis NORP · 1× Revolutionary Guards ORG · 1× Riyadh GPE · 1× Washington GPE · 1× Yemen GPE · 1× the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ORG · 1×

Narrative

In a statement, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the ideological arm of Iran’s military, said “there will certainly be significant changes in our defence and our counteroffensive” in the event of a new US attack.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-21
🔮 Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned on Sept 21 that they would attack new targets and deploy new weapons if the US launches further attacks on Iran.
2026-09-21 · The Straits Times
Iran’s Guards threaten to hit new targets with new weapons if US attacks · assertive framing

Claims (12 extracted, 1 hedged)

Iran’s Guards threaten to hit new targets with new weapons if US attacks TEHRAN – asserted
US → threaten → weapons
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned on Sept 21 that they would attack new targets and deploy new weapons if the US launches further attacks on Iran. asserted
US → warn → Iran
Almost seven months into their war, Tehran and Washington remain locked in a stalemate, though neither side appears willing to return to full-scale war. asserted
side → lock → war
In a statement, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the ideological arm of Iran’s military, said “there will certainly be significant changes in our defence and our counteroffensive” in the event of a new US attack. asserted
spokesman → say → attack
“We will introduce new weapons with new capabilities into the battlefield, and the world will be surprised,” he said. asserted
he → introduce → battlefield
“Our targets will not necessarily be the same as before either,” he added. asserted
he → add → ?
“We have new targets that have not yet been attacked.” asserted
that → have → targets
The Guards also said they were prepared for a “prolonged war”. asserted
they → say → war
On Sept 19, the central command of Iran’s military said the US was planning new action against Tehran, according to state television, but it did not elaborate. uncertain
it → say → television
Fighting between the US and Iran has eased in recent days after a flare-up at the end of August, though Tehran continues sporadic attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. asserted
Tehran → ease → Hormuz
Both sides are maintaining rival blockades in the waterway in an effort to exert pressure. asserted
sides → maintain → pressure
The war has spread to Yemen, with the country’s Iran-backed Houthis taking more territory from the Saudi-backed government and the group launching attacks on Saudi targets, including the capital Riyadh. asserted
war → spread → capital
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