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Iran warns new U.S. assault would see it expand "geography of the war"

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Andrews, F., & Reals, T. (2026, September 21). Iran warns new U.S. assault would see it expand "geography of the war". CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/us-iran-war-trump-decision-tehran-warns-of-expansion/

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CBS News · collected 2026-09-21 · by Frank Andrews, Tucker Reals

Quick Summary

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman warned that any new U.S. assault would prompt Iran to expand its warfare with new tactics and into new geographic areas. President Trump told Fox News he is in "deciding mode" regarding options such as escalating military action or pursuing economic sanctions against Iran, while also suggesting possible diplomatic engagement. Meanwhile, U.S. embassies issued travel warnings for American citizens due to intensifying conflict between Yemen's Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed forces.
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 2026-11-02, 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 10% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Al Jazeera
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different stages and aspects of a broader conflict involving Iran, with Article A focusing on sanctions and street protests while Article B covers threats from Iran and Trump's considerations.”
New York Post
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 1 of 16 claims Outlet record 66/100
Times of India
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 2 of 9 claims Outlet record 59/100
Al Jazeera
Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 60/100
Al Jazeera
Hedges 1 of 19 claims Outlet record 60/100
The Straits Times
Hedges 1 of 12 claims Outlet record 66/100
NBC News
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 2 of 27 claims Outlet record 60/100
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans right Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 60/100
“The articles describe different stages of consideration by President Trump regarding Iran, not a single incident.”
Times of India
Hedges 1 of 13 claims Outlet record 59/100
“The articles describe Iran's response to potential US attacks, but they are from different dates and contain distinct statements that indicate separate developments in the ongoing tensions.”
The Independent
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 0 of 6 claims Outlet record 59/100
“The articles describe different stages or parts of an ongoing situation, with Article A focusing on Trump's threat made during a phone call and Article B reporting Iran's response and subsequent U.S. considerations.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
42
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
10%
4 of 42 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
66/100
CBS News'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

CBS News · 4391 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Frank Andrews
17 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The delegation is led by a senior adviser to Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister and is scheduled to meet with senior Iranian officials, IRNA said, adding that the discussions would focus on bilateral relations between Iran and Qatar, as well as developments in the region.
🔮 Tehran is considering the proposal and will respond by the end of the week, the agency reported Wednesday.
🔮 - Iranian officials said Sunday that indirect negotiations with the U.S. continue but that Tehran will not change its positions even if Mr. Trump does order a resumption of American attacks on the Islamic Republic.
🔮 The exchange came as Zelenskyy prepared to meet U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Norway on Tuesday, with his fellow envoy, Mr. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, expected to join remotely.
🔮 The price of Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, eased Friday to around $103 a barrel after Mr. Trump promised the U.S. would not resume attacks on Iran before the U.S. midterm elections early next month.
🔮 The increase is thanks largely to producers using alternative routes via the Red Sea, where the escalating fight with the Houthis could bring more uncertainty this week.
🔮 - Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is in New York for the annual U.N. gathering, said Tehran would "firmly defend" Iran's positions in the war and use the opportunity to "convey Iran's plight."
🔮 Iran warns it will expand the war if there is another U.S. assault
🔮 "Anything could happen with me."
🔮 As fears grow that the race for AI supremacy could be hurtling us all toward a grim fate not unlike the apocalyptic plot line of the Terminator movies, analysts tell CBS News that mutual distrust between the U.S. and China, as much as the technology itself, could lead humanity "off a cliff."
Also by Frank Andrews
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 17 articles by Frank Andrews →
Tucker Reals
11 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Hubbard, who is in poor health, was expected to be flown to Texas for treatment at a military hospital.
🔮 He called on Moscow to be "transparent" a day after Russia's primary national health agency denied earlier reports by local officials that the Siberian lab worker might have died of after a lab accident and that anti-plague measures were imposed at multiple health facilities in the wake of her death on Oct. 1 or 2.The World Health Organization said Tuesday that the public health risk in Russia and Europe was considered low after the incident in Russia's far-eastern Siberia region.
🔮 "When I was lying on the floor I could feel the aircraft was going down.
🔮 Iran warns it will expand the war if there is another U.S. assault
🔮 Energy secretary says "we are always open" for nuclear agreement with Iran Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that the Trump administration is not shutting down diplomatic relations with Iran despite his comments earlier that there "may not be a nuclear agreement.
🔮 Oil prices jump again as Iran continues launching attacks on U.S. Gulf allies Oil prices jumped again Thursday as Iran claimed new strikes targeting U.S. forces across the Middle East, but bond yields eased and stock markets traded steadier after recent volatility. Crude futures had dropped briefly, after President Trump suggested U.S. attacks against Iran would likely be short-lived, but with Iran's retaliation continuing, and likely to draw further American strikes, oil prices continued the general upward trend on Thursday that has been seen for a week, since hostilities resumed.
🔮 Mr. Trump initially , but now says it will take "as long as necessary."
2026-08-28 · assertive framing · Iran war hits 6-month mark with no end in sight
🔮 President Trump told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that the U.S. was "achieving a very big victory" against Iran, but that the war "will continue for as long as necessary" and there's no timetable to resume peace talks with Tehran.
🔮 Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf called on Iran and Iraq to strengthen economic cooperation and prepare for what he described as "unjust sanctions," warning that the United States and Israel had shifted toward economic warfare after failing to defeat the two countries militarily. Speaking to Iranian and Iraqi businesspeople at the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad on Thursday, Ghalibaf said the two countries should develop mechanisms to withstand sanctions and reduce their dependence on the U.S. dollar. "If you look at the resources and raw materials of Muslim countries, you will realize that our enemies come to plunder them," Ghalibaf said, according to a post on his channel on the Telegram messaging app.
🔮 It's been careening back and forth because of uncertainty about what the war with Iran will do to the global flow of crude.
Also by Tucker Reals
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 11 articles by Tucker Reals →

Topics

Fox News Iran Iranian New York U.S.

Subjects

Iran GPE · 12× U.S. GPE · 9× Trump PERSON · 6× Sisi PERSON · 5× Iranian NORP · 4× Cairo GPE · 3× Fox News ORG · 3× New York GPE · 3× Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ORG · 2× Yemen GPE · 2×

Narrative

Sisi's office said Ratcliffe "lauded Egypt's pivotal role in supporting efforts aimed at reaching peaceful, comprehensive settlements to regional crises." CBS/AFP Tehran has conveyed conditions to U.S. for reopening of Strait of Hormuz, Iran's top negotiator says Iran has conveyed to Washington through mediators its conditions for reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which it has blockaded throughout the Middle East war, Tehran's top negotiator said Sunday.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-21
🔮 Iran warns it will expand the war if there is another U.S. assault

Claims (42 extracted, 4 hedged)

- A spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened Monday to respond to any new U.S. assault with unspecified new weapons and an expansion of "the geography" of the . asserted
spokesman → threaten → the
- President Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he's in "deciding mode" as he considers options including "wiping Iran out," "letting them rot economically," or trying again to strike a deal to end the war. asserted
them → tell → war
He said he'd "probably" be open to meeting his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week. asserted
he → say → York
- U.S. embassies across the Middle East as fighting between Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-backed coalition intensified. asserted
fighting → back → rebels
The embassies told U.S. nationals to exercise caution and be prepared for travel disruptions, citing the "potential for unforeseen escalation" in the region. asserted
embassies → tell → region
Iran warns it will expand the war if there is another U.S. assault asserted
it → warn → war
Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Monday that any new U.S. assault would be met with an expansion of the already-complex regional conflict to new areas. asserted
assault → warn → areas
"If a new aggression occurs, we will certainly change the weaponry and the geography of the war," IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Monday according to the country's semi-official Fars news agency. uncertain
Mohebbi → occur → agency
Mohebbi added that Tehran was prepared for the nearly seven-month war to drag on. asserted
war → add → ?
The statement came after President Trump reiterated on Sunday that he was poised to make a decision on whether to re-intensify U.S. attacks on Iran that he previously said could "annihilate" the country's Islamic Republic regime, or to seek a new diplomatic agreement to end the war. uncertain
he → come → war
Mr. Trump told Fox News he was "probably" open to the idea of meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. asserted
he → tell → York
Trump says he's in "deciding mode" on Iran President Trump told Fox News that he's in a "deciding mode" on Iran, forecasting "very big things" to come in the near future as he considers his options in the war. Fox News' Trey Yingst said he spoke with the president, who said he's considering a handful of choices, including "wiping Iran out," "letting them rot economically," or striking a deal. "My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up? asserted
I → say → nation
They better behave," the president told Yingst. asserted
president → behave → Yingst
Yingst said the president also told him he'd probably be open to meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is expected to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week. asserted
who → say → York
The comments come after Mr. Trump told Axios on Thursday that he's facing a "big decision" on whether to "annihilate" the Iranian regime. asserted
he → come → regime
CIA director meets with Egypt's Sisi amid U.S. warning of "potential" Middle East escalation CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a rare visit to Cairo on Sunday. Sisi's office said the meeting, attended by Egypt's spy chief Hassan Rashad, included discussion of the wars in Iran, the Gaza Strip and Sudan, as well as attacks on Gulf countries and threats to maritime security. asserted
meeting → meet → security
Sisi stressed "the paramount importance of settling regional crises through political and diplomatic tracks," according to a presidency statement. uncertain
Sisi → stress → statement
On Saturday, the U.S. State Department warned Americans against traveling to the region as hostilities rage between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis. asserted
hostilities → warn → Arabia
Ratcliffe's visit also came days after de facto Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Sisi in Cairo. asserted
Salman → come → Cairo
The pair urged safe and secure maritime navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, after the Iran-backed Houthis seized the Yemeni coast along the vital waterway in a lightning offensive. asserted
Houthis → urge → offensive
It has repeatedly positioned itself as a stabilizing force in a turbulent region, keeping open lines of communication with rival sides, including Israel, Hamas and Iran. asserted
It → position → Israel
Sisi's office said Ratcliffe "lauded Egypt's pivotal role in supporting efforts aimed at reaching peaceful, comprehensive settlements to regional crises." CBS/AFP Tehran has conveyed conditions to U.S. for reopening of Strait of Hormuz, Iran's top negotiator says Iran has conveyed to Washington through mediators its conditions for reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which it has blockaded throughout the Middle East war, Tehran's top negotiator said Sunday. asserted
negotiator → say → war
The two foes are locked in a stalemate months into the conflict, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the world's oil and gas. asserted
foes → lock → oil
"Our messages and the explanation of our conditions have been clearly conveyed to the other party through mediators," said Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has acted as chief negotiator in talks to end the war. asserted
who → convey → war
"As long as the conditions are not met ... and the U.S. commitments are not honored, it will be impossible to return to the situation from before the negotiations and to an open strait," he added, according to state television. uncertain
he → meet → television
Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran's supreme national security council, said on Saturday that the Islamic Republic had conveyed its conditions to the U.S. via mediator Qatar. asserted
Republic → say → Qatar
"Our conditions are an end to the war on all fronts, the release of our frozen funds and an end to the naval blockade," he said in an interview with Al Jazeera. asserted
he → say → Jazeera
Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait condemn Houthi attack in Riyadh Three Muslim and Arab countries condemned the Houthis' attack in Riyadh, saying it was a threat to regional security and stability and a violation of international law. asserted
it → condemn → law
Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait, in separate statements, said their governments stand with Saudi Arabia in support of its sovereignty and protection of its civilians. asserted
governments → say → civilians
The Muslim World League also condemned the attack on civilians and civilian infrastructure as a violation of "all religious values as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms." asserted
League → condemn → values
It was the first time the Saudi capital has been targeted since the escalation in fighting with the Iran-backed rebels opened a new front in the Iran war. asserted
escalation → target → war
Saudi Arabia said the attack was intercepted. asserted
attack → say → ?
Some residents in Riyadh heard an explosion, and later some saw a plume of smoke near the airport. asserted
some → hear → airport
In recent weeks, fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who have taken control of vast swaths of Yemen's Red Sea coastline, along with several islands in the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a move which has put more pressure on an already stressed global oil supply. asserted
which → take → supply
CBS/AP U.S. embassies across Mideast issue security alerts amid "potential for unforeseen escalation" asserted
embassies → issue → escalation
U.S. embassies across the Middle East early Sunday morning local time issued security alerts for American citizens in the region. asserted
embassies → issue → region
"Due to tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation," said the alerts issued by embassies in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. asserted
alerts → remain → Israel
The alerts did not state a specific threat, but called for Americans to "exercise heightened vigilance and be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions." asserted
Americans → state → cancellations
They cited the recent fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, noting that the conflict between the two sides "has the potential to escalate rapidly." Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi coalition fighting the Houthis, said in an earlier statement posted on X that Saudi forces had intercepted a ballistic missile fired at the capital city Riyadh on Saturday. asserted
forces → cite → Saturday
In recent weeks, fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who have taken control of vast swaths of Yemen's Red Sea coastline, along with several islands in the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a move which has put more pressure on an already stressed global oil supply. asserted
which → take → supply
…and 2 more, not listed.
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