According to Jerusalem Post, In a stark escalation of regional rhetoric, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader has warned that the Islamic Republic will launch direct attacks on Israel and target United States military bases in the event of a U.S. strike on Iranian soil.
The threat was issued by Yahya Rahim Safavi, a former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and current senior adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His comments come amid heightened tensions following a suspected Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria earlier this month, and ongoing U.S. military posture in the Persian Gulf.
“We will have to respond to them, Safavi stated, addressing a public gathering. The original statement, as reported by Iranian state media, is, “We have no conflict with any country, but if America attacks Iran, for whatever reason, we will attack Israel and American bases in the region.
Analysts interpret the statement as a clear declaration of Iran’s forward defense doctrine, explicitly linking any future conflict with the United States to a widened regional war that would immediately encompass Israel, the threat underscores Iran’s network of allied militias across the Middle East, which it could mobilize alongside its own missile and drone capabilities.
“This is a strategic warning meant to deter, said Dr. Sanam Vakil of the Chatham House think tank. “Iran is signaling to Washington that the cost of any direct confrontation will be exponentially high, with U.S. allies and assets across multiple countries brought into the fray from the first moment.
The United States maintains significant military bases in several Gulf Arab states, including Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, which house thousands of American troops and advanced aircraft. Israel, already engaged in a shadow war with Iran, has repeatedly stated it will act to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
The White House and Pentagon have not yet issued a formal response to Safavi’s latest remarks. However, a U.S. State Department spokesperson, speaking on background, reiterated that the United States does not seek conflict with Iran, but we will continue to take all necessary measures to protect our people and our interests.
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