‘We have many surprises in store,’ says Iranian FM in a warning to US

'Nine days into Operation Epic Mistake, oil prices doubled as US plots target our oil, nuclear sites,' he says

As tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Monday mocked the United States' ‘Operation Epic Fury”, warning President Donald Trump that Tehran still has “many surprises” in store.

“Nine days into Operation Epic Mistake, oil prices have doubled while all commodities are skyrocketing. We know the US is plotting against our oil and nuclear sites in hopes of containing huge inflationary shock,” he wrote in a post on X.

“Iran is fully prepared. And we, too, have many surprises in store,” he added.

9 days into Operation Epic Mistake, oil prices have doubled while all commodities are skyrocketing. We know the U.S. is plotting against our oil and nuclear sites in hopes of containing huge inflationary shock. Iran is fully prepared.

And we, too, have many surprises in store. pic.twitter.com/UNQu0fVZE2

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 9, 2026

Share markets fell today as the inflationary jolt from surging oil prices threatened to raise living costs and interest rates around the globe, while investors desperate for liquidity fled to the US dollar.

Read More: Iran says will not target neighbours unless attacked from them

Crude oil futures soared almost 30% to nearly $120 a barrel, one of its biggest one-day jumps on record, threatening to raise costs of products from gasoline to jet fuel.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were last up nearly 13% at $104.5 a barrel, while US futures were up 12% at $101.8 CLc1.

Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, signalling that hardliners remained firmly in charge a week into the war with the US and Israel.

That is unlikely to be welcomed by Trump, who had declared the son "unacceptable".