Khamenei issues warning as US actions risk “regional war”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned of a “regional war” if the United States launched any attack, following Washington’s recent military build‑up in the Gulf, stressing Iran would retaliate forcefully against any provocation, reported by Middle East Eye on February 1st.

The US has sharply increased its naval presence in the Middle East after President Donald Trump repeatedly warned he would intervene unless Iran accepted a nuclear deal and stopped its violent crackdown on protesters.

Trump declared that a “massive armada” was moving toward the Islamic Republic. The US Navy now has six destroyers, an aircraft carrier and three littoral combat ships operating in the region.

State media quoted Khamenei warning that “the Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war.” He dismissed President Trump’s comments about deploying additional ships, saying “[Trump] regularly says that he brought ships… The Iranian nation shall not be scared by these things, the Iranian people will not be stirred by these threats.”

Khamenei added that “we are not the initiators and do not want to attack any country, but the Iranian nation will strike a strong blow against anyone who attacks and harasses them.”

A diplomatic path remains possible, with Tehran saying it is prepared for “fair” negotiations that do not attempt to limit its defensive capabilities.

Middle East Eye reported that Trump was weighing the option of precision strikes on “high‑value” Iranian officials and commanders the US considered responsible for the deaths of protesters during anti‑government demonstrations earlier this month.

The protests, which began in late December amid an economic crisis driven by soaring inflation and rising living costs, have largely subsided after a sweeping crackdown. Khamenei described the unrest as a “coup,” saying the aim of the “sedition” was to strike at the institutions that govern the country, according to state media.

Official figures place the unrest‑related death toll at 3,117, while the US‑based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had verified 6,713 deaths so far.

The violent crackdown on protesters led the European Union to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, prompting Iranian lawmakers to retaliate by assigning the same label to European armies.

Despite warnings of potential military action, both Iran and the US still appear to be keeping the possibility of negotiations open. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said: “Contrary to the hype of the contrived media war, structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing.”

Trump also acknowledged that dialogue was underway, though he did not retract his earlier threats, adding, “We’ll see what happens”.

 

Middle East Eye and agencies, Magherbi.org