Iran warned the US on Wednesday that any involvement in its conflict with Israel would trigger an “all-out war” amid reports that Tehran is preparing for retaliatory strikes on American bases.
According to a report by the British newspaper The Telegraph, two senior Iranian officials told The New York Times that Tehran would first target American forces stationed in Iraq, and then expand its attacks to U.S. bases in other Arab countries.
The officials also warned that Iran may lay naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route. Such an action could disrupt international shipping and lead to a rise in energy prices.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels may also resume missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, aircraft carrying U.S. military equipment have been seen flying across the Atlantic, signaling an acceleration in logistical operations.
Meanwhile, at least 30 US military planes have been moved from bases in America to Europe over the past three days.
The planes in question are all US military tanker aircraft used to re-fuel fighter jets and bombers. According to Flightradar24, at least seven of these – all KC-135s – stopped off in US airbases in Spain, Scotland and England.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any US strike would have “serious irreparable consequences.”
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Khamenei vowed too that Iran would never back down and said his country “does not answer well to threats” as he rejected President Trump’s earlier call for an unconditional surrender.
“Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation, and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender,” he said in a statement read out on state media.
