By Muhammad Mamman
Forces in the Middle East teeter on the brink of a far-wider war, as former U.S. President Donald Trump issued one of his most uncompromising warnings to Iran, insisting that any retaliation will be met with “a force that has never been seen before,” after Tehran declared it would strike back “very hard” following joint U.S. and Israeli military strikes. 
In a series of posts on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said on Sunday that Iran’s announced plans for “the hardest hits ever” would invite a massive response from the United States. “They better not do that,” he wrote, underscoring that further attacks would trigger an overwhelming counter-offensive. 
The warnings came after weeks of mounting tensions that erupted on Feb. 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on multiple targets across Iran, killing hundreds and targeting key military leadership. Iranian state media reported intense retaliation, with missiles and drones fired at Israeli and U.S. military installations in the Gulf region. 
Tehran’s leadership has responded defiantly. Senior Iranian officials vowed that any aggression would be met with an “unforgiving” and “historic” offensive, with some describing the planned response as the most ferocious ever. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) explicitly pledged severe punishment for what it termed the “murderers” of its people, signaling that escalation remains a strategic priority. 
The deteriorating situation has drawn international alarm. At an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting, Secretary-General António Guterres condemned both U.S.–Israeli strikes and Iranian attacks, warning that continued hostilities risk plunging the region into a far broader conflict that could disrupt global stability. 
Regional civilians are already feeling the impact. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel, explosions were reported in Gulf cities, and disruptions to civil aviation prompted widespread flight cancellations — intensifying fears of spill-over into neighbouring states and global markets. 
Analysts say the latest exchanges reflect a dangerously volatile moment in Middle East geopolitics, underlining how military escalation — once thought contained — now threatens to draw in multiple powers amid competing interests and decades-old rivalries. 
As world leaders appeal for restraint, both Washington and Tehran have yet to signal a clear path back from the brink, leaving the future of the region — and the world — uncertain.
