Iran warns of 'painful response' if it suffers further attacks

(Reuters) – Iran said it will step up efforts to tackle problems ​created by U.S. sanctions that are crippling its economy, while a senior Iranian official warned of a “painful response” if it comes under further attack.

Six months after U.S.-Israeli strikes Iran launched the war, the conflict appears to be at a stalemate. A preliminary ceasefire accord reached in June has unravelled, and little progress has been made in diplomatic efforts to get the peace process back on track.

After a pause in military action for much of August, tit-for-tat strikes have resumed with U.S. Central Command saying it hit three Iranian tankers on Saturday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships.