Iran’s Supreme Leader Warns Any U.S. Attack Would Spark ‘Regional War’

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader warned Sunday that any U.S. attack would lead to a “regional war” in the Middle East and further escalate tensions as President Donald Trump threatened to strike the Islamic Republic militarily. Crackdown on recent nationwide protests.

The comments by 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are the most direct threat Tehran has made yet as the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and associated American warships are in the Arabian Sea, sent there by Trump following his bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

It is not yet clear whether Trump will use force. He has repeatedly said Iran wants to negotiate and has brought up Tehran’s nuclear program as another issue he wants resolved.

But Khamenei has also called the nationwide protests a “coup” and the government’s stance has hardened as tens of thousands of people have reportedly been detained since the beginning of the demonstrations. Sedition charges in Iran could lead to the death penalty; this renews concerns about Tehran carrying out mass executions of those arrested; This is a red line for Trump.

Iran had also planned a live-fire military exercise on Sunday and Monday. strategic Strait of HormuzThe narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which one-fifth of oil trade passes. The US military’s Central Command had warned against threatening American warships or aircraft or disrupting commercial traffic during the exercise.

Khamenei spoke to the crowd at his compound in Tehran as Iran marked the beginning of the country’s days-long commemoration of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. At one point, he stated that the United States was interested in oil, natural gas and other mineral resources, and said that they wanted to “take over this country like they controlled it before.”

“Americans must be aware that if they declare war this time, it will be a regional war,” he said.

The religious leader added: “We are not provocative, we will not be unfair to anyone, we do not plan to attack any country. However, if someone shows greed and wants to attack or harass, the Iranian nation will deal a heavy blow to him.”

Asked about the warning, Trump told reporters Sunday: “The United States has the biggest, most powerful ships in the world, very soon, within a few days, and hopefully we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, then we’ll find out if he’s right.”

Khamenei also toughened his stance on the demonstrations after previously acknowledging that some people had legitimate economic difficulties that led to the protests. The demonstrations began on December 28, initially following the depreciation of the Iranian rial currency. It quickly became a direct challenge to Khamenei’s rule.

“The recent unrest was similar to a coup. Of course, the coup was suppressed,” he said. “Their aim was to destroy the sensitive and effective centers of governing the country, and therefore they attacked the police, government centers, (Revolutionary Guards) facilities, banks and mosques, and burned copies of the Quran. They targeted the centers of governing the country.”

The US-based New Agency for Human Rights Activists, which relied on a network within Iran to verify its information, reported that more than 49,500 people were detained during the crackdown. It is stated that the violence killed at least 6,713 people, the majority of whom were demonstrators. The Associated Press was not able to independently assess the death toll and arrest figures because authorities have cut off Iran’s internet from the rest of the world.

As of January 21 Iranian government He reduced the death toll to 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces and describing the rest as “terrorists”. In the past, the Iranian theocracy has undercounted or not reported deaths resulting from unrest.

This death toll exceeds that of other protests and unrest in Iran in decades and is reminiscent of the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution.

Meanwhile, the speaker of Iran’s parliament said that the Islamic Republic now sees all European Union armies as terrorist groups and reacted harshly after the bloc’s announcement. the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is a terrorist group more than participation bloody oppression.

Muhammad Bagher QalibafA former Guard commander has announced what will likely be a mostly symbolic definition of terrorism. Iran used a 2019 law to reciprocally designate other nations’ militaries as terrorist groups after the United States designated the Guard as a terrorist group that year.

Kalibaf made the announcement as he and others in parliament wore Guard uniforms to support the force. The Guard, which also controls Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and has major economic interests in Iran, answers only to Khamenei.

“The Europeans actually shot themselves in the foot by trying to attack the Guard, the biggest obstacle to the spread of terrorism in Europe, and once again made decisions against the interests of their own people by blindly obeying the Americans,” Kalibaf said.

During the session, lawmakers then chanted the following slogans: “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” in session.

Trump drew two red lines for military action: the killing of peaceful protesters or the possible mass execution of those detained during the massive crackdown on demonstrations. It has also increasingly begun to discuss Iran’s nuclear program, which the United States has previously negotiated with Tehran in many sessions. Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran I returned in June.

US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities during the war. Activity on the two sites shows: Iran may be trying to block satellites’ view While trying to save those left there.

Trump refused to say Saturday night whether he had made a decision about what he wanted to do about Iran.

Speaking to reporters, Trump avoided answering the question of whether Tehran would be encouraged if the US backed down from attacking Iran and said, “Some people think so, some people don’t think so.”

Trump said Iran needed to make a “satisfactory” deal to prevent the Middle Eastern country from acquiring nuclear weapons, but added, “I don’t know if they will. But they are talking to us. They are seriously talking to us.”

Associated Press writer Will Weissert in Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.