Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Ahmad Vahidi has said the country's missile development programme will continue despite threats and sanctions, as Tehran warned that military bases involved in any renewed United States attack — including bases in Europe — would be legitimate targets for Iranian strikes.

Source: Tasnim via TrendsMENA, Nov 12, 2026

Vahidi made the remarks in a message marking Aerospace Day, carried by Iran's Tasnim news agency. Paying tribute to Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, regarded as the founder of Iran's ballistic missile programme, he said Iran would not abandon missile development despite external pressure.

Source: Tasnim via TrendsMENA, Nov 12, 2026

"The enemy must know that the path of martyr Tehrani Moghaddam cannot be stopped by threats or sanctions. This path continues with blood and faith," Vahidi said, addressing members of the IRGC Aerospace Force and urging them to keep strengthening the country's military capabilities.

Rezaei: bases from West Asia to Europe would be targets

Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei separately warned that any base used in a renewed US attack would be targeted. "If the US launches another war against Iran, every military base involved in the aggression, from West Asia to Europe, will be a legitimate target for Iran's lethal strikes," Rezaei said in a social media post. "No safe distance. No safe haven. No immunity," he added.

The warnings came a day after Israel's security cabinet, chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, directed the military to increase its readiness for a potential attack on Iran, Israeli media reported on Wednesday evening. Public broadcaster KAN said the directives could lead to military activities capable of triggering a wider war. Awaaz Punjab reported the cabinet decision separately on November 11.

Diplomacy and the uranium dispute

Washington is weighing diplomacy alongside pressure. US President Donald Trump has said he could return to military action if Qatar-mediated diplomatic efforts fail to produce a deal, while Vice President JD Vance is considering direct talks with Rezaei, potentially in Doha, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US and Middle Eastern officials. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington's economic pressure campaign is proving effective enough to make further large-scale military operations unnecessary, and the US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in place.

Iran has rejected a US proposal to transfer its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent to a third country, insisting Washington address Tehran's demands first. Parliament speaker and lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the ball is in the US court on Tehran's seven-point proposal, that Iran and Oman had reached an understanding on overseeing the Strait of Hormuz, and that a lack of trust in Washington is a major obstacle to a deal.

Oil rises, and what it means for Gulf workers

Oil prices rose on Wednesday after Iran rejected the US uranium proposal. Brent crude futures settled $1.27, or 1.39 percent, higher at $92.76 a barrel — yaani about $93 a barrel — while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 49 cents, or 0.57 percent, to $86.53. Prices had fallen by more than $3 a barrel on Tuesday after US officials played down the prospect of further strikes, before recovering as Tehran denied that negotiations were taking place.

For the lakhs of Punjabi and Indian workers across the Gulf, the exchange of warnings matters directly: a renewed US or Israeli strike on Iran, and any Iranian retaliation against bases or shipping in the region, would put jobs, flights and remittances at risk and could push fuel prices higher at home. No new strike had been reported by Thursday morning, and mediators led by Qatar are still working to prevent a renewed conflict.