Iranian Military Warns of Geographic Escalation if U.S. Attacks Resume

According to French media, Iranian army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia declared on Sunday that the war would expand geographically if the U.S. resumes aerial strikes. Akraminia accused Israel of having "deceived" Washington into military involvement and warned that continued air campaigns would widen the conflict. The statement came before a planned visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington. 📌 EPM Take: Iran's rhetorical strategy here is to wedge Washington away from Tel Aviv by casting the U.S. as a manipulated actor rather than a sovereign decision-maker. The victimhood framing — America is being tricked — is crafted to appeal to those already skeptical of U.S. involvement in the region. But progressive commentary that treats this statement as a legitimate peace signal misreads the moment entirely. Iran is a state actor with documented regional ambitions. EPM has covered how Iran-aligned forces, including the Houthis, have struck international shipping — that pattern of coordinated regional pressure does not disappear because Tehran issues a diplomatic-sounding warning. Civilian populations across the region would bear the cost of any geographic expansion. The real question is not whether Iran means it — it is whether Washington will let the threat rewrite the terms of its alliance with Israel before Netanyahu even walks through the door.