Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned on Sunday that a US attack on Iran would trigger "a regional war," amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. This statement comes as the US president Donald Trump multiplies threats of using force against the Islamic Republic.
“The Americans must know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying by the Iranian news agency Tasnim. The leader, Iran’s ultimate decision-maker, suggested that a confrontation would not be limited to a bilateral clash, but could engulf the entire Middle East.
A speech delivered during the commemorative sequence
This warning comes as the United States had already briefly bombed Iran during a twelve-day war in June, which, according to Iranian media, was initiated by Israel. The climate of mistrust between the two countries thus remains fueled by recent episodes of confrontation.
Ali Khamenei was speaking to thousands of people at the launch of a ceremony marking the anniversary of Imam Khomeini's return to Iran. This symbolic moment also opens the "Ten Days' Dawn" celebrations, which precede the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
