The United States is preparing to widen its war against Iran dramatically, with senior officials confirming a new phase of strikes that will hit “previously untouched sectors” of the country if Tehran’s missile and drone attacks continue.

In a closed‑door briefing leaked to US media, Pentagon planners outlined an expanded target list that goes beyond IRGC bases and missile fields to include regional command hubs, key transport arteries, advanced research sites and elements of Iran’s cyber and space infrastructure. One official described it as “moving from the hands of the war machine to its nervous system.”

Early signs of the shift are already visible. Overnight, US bombers and cruise‑missile strikes hit rail junctions feeding IRGC depots, communications relays near major cities and facilities tied to drone and ballistic‑guidance development in provinces that had largely escaped the first week of bombardment. Social media from inside Iran shows burning logistics yards and blackouts far from traditional military zones.

Tehran has condemned the move as proof Washington is sliding into “total war,” warning that any strike on new categories of targets will be met with missiles and proxy attacks on US ᴀssets “from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean.” Washington counters that every new Iranian salvo simply unlocks deeper layers of its contingency plans.

As maps in war rooms fill with fresh red circles and ordinary Iranians brace for explosions in regions once thought safe, diplomats fear this next phase will be harder than ever to roll back — because once both sides start hitting “new parts” of each other’s state, there may be no political off‑ramp left to climb onto.