Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned on Sunday that any war initiated by the United States would spread beyond Iran and turn into a wider regional conflict, according to state media.
“America should know that if it starts a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Khamenei said, dismissing recent US threats as nothing new.
He said American officials have repeatedly talked about war in the past, citing aircraft carriers and planes while claiming “all options are on the table,” including military action.
Khamenei also took aim at US President Donald Trump, saying Trump frequently says the United States has brought in ships, but that Iranians should not be intimidated by such moves.
He said the Iranian people are not swayed by these threats and will not be frightened by US military posturing.
“We are not the ones to start anything and we do not want to attack any country, but the Iranian nation will deliver a strong punch to anyone who attacks and harasses it,” he said.
In the same remarks, Khamenei described the recent unrest in Iran as resembling a coup attempt.
“The recent sedition was similar to a coup,” he said, adding that it was suppressed.
He said the goal was to damage sensitive and effective centers of governance, alleging that attackers targeted police, government institutions, Revolutionary Guard centers, banks and mosques, and that they set the Quran on fire. “They attacked the centers that run the country.”