Iran warned Sunday that any further attacks on its interests would draw a faster and more severe response, as renewed fighting with the United States intensified alongside growing economic pressure from sanctions and restrictions on Iranian oil exports.
The warning followed U.S. strikes on three Iranian vessels Saturday after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Washington should recognize that the rules governing the confrontation had changed.
"From now on, any attack against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response,” he said.
Iranian state media separately reported that its navy attacked a U.S. remote-controlled vessel attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz, a claim U.S. Central Command denied.
The latest exchanges follow a period of relative calm in August and months of unsuccessful efforts to secure a lasting diplomatic settlement.
Iran also plans to announce a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz that will extend into parts of the Gulf, according to Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei.
Ships entering the zone would be placed on a sanctions list, he said, without providing further details.
Iranian officials also signaled increased efforts to address inflation, unemployment, currency volatility and other economic pressures worsened by U.S. sanctions and the oil blockade.
Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said Tehran would pursue economic reforms while rejecting the idea that U.S. pressure could force Iran to change course.
Iran's Economy Ministry has also intensified work through its “Economic War Headquarters” to address problems stemming from the conflict.
Oil exports have faced disruption since the United States began blockading Iranian shipments in mid-April.
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said Kharg Island, which handled 90% of Iran's crude exports before the war, had been struck about 550 times in previous months but remained operational.
Meanwhile, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said roughly nine million barrels of oil were moving through the Strait of Hormuz daily, with regional pipelines helping flows reach at least two-thirds of pre-conflict levels.