The United States and Iran are engaged in increasingly hostile rhetoric as US warships move into the Arabian Sea, despite regional nations seeking a diplomatic solution to prevent a military flare-up. US President Donald Trump warned this week that “ time is running out ” for Iran to return to talks to reach a new deal on its nuclear programme.

For nearly half a century, Iran has prepared for a war with the United States. Unable to match America’s military power, Tehran has instead focused on ways to impose heavy costs that could shake the Middle East and the global economy.

President Trump has not authorized military action in Iran, but the U.S. has built up its presence in the region in recent days.

Iran would be unable to repel a possible US air attack but has the capability to retaliate against US military and commercial interests in the region, experts said.

US forces will conduct a multi-day air exercise in the Middle East as Washington bolsters its military presence in the region amid tensions with Iran.

Iran’s Islamic Republic, weakened by airstrikes in June and huge popular unrest, warns that it will strike back hard if attacked by the United States. This time, Iran may mean it.

When the U.S. and Israel struck Iran in June 2025, Tehran responded with strikes on a U.S. air base in Qatar. The U.S. has evacuated its troops from that base in recent weeks in anticipation of possible retaliatory action.

Tehran has threatened to treat an attack by the US as part of last summer's war, and its response could be more dramatic.