Dubai: Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Sunday that any military attack by the United States would ignite a “regional war” in the Middle East, escalating tensions amid President Donald Trump’s threats of force against the Islamic Republic.
The 86-year-old leader’s comments are the most-direct threat from Tehran so far, coming as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying US warships remain in the Arabian Sea. Trump had deployed the fleet following Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.
It is still unclear whether Trump will take military action. The US president has repeatedly said Iran is open to negotiation and has highlighted Tehran’s nuclear program as a key issue for resolution.
Meanwhile, Iran had scheduled a live-fire military drill on Sunday and Monday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes. The US Central Command cautioned Iran against threatening American warships or aircraft during the drill or disrupting commercial shipping.
Iranian state television published Khamenei’s remarks online before broadcasting footage of his speech.
“The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Khamenei said. He added, “We are not the instigators and we do not seek to attack any country. But the Iranian nation will deliver a firm blow to anyone who attacks or harasses it.”
This marks a significant escalation in rhetoric as both nations remain on high alert amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.
With PTI inputs