Hossein Salami, the chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Wednesday (Jan 31), that Tehran is not afraid of direct military confrontation with Washington.
He also said that threats coming from the United States will not be left unanswered, further adding that Iran is not seeking war with the US.
“We hear some threats from American officials about targeting Iran. We tell them that you tested us and we know each other. We do not leave any threat unanswered, and we do not look for war, but we are not afraid of it. This is the well-known truth,” he said.
His remarks came after US President Joe Biden’s comments the day before, in which he stated, that he had decided on a response to a drone attack that killed three US service members in Jordan. But even the Biden administration had stressed that it was not seeking a war with Iran.
According to the official IRNA news agency, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, “America must stop using the language of threat and projection and focus on a political solution.”
“Iran’s response to threats is decisive and immediate,” he added.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had also said on Monday that the nation would take “all necessary actions” to defend its troops.
Watch: Gravitas | Will the UK recognise the Palestinian state?
Jordan drone attack
The US claimed that its soldiers died in a deadly drone attack in Jordan by Iran-backed militants, but Tehran has denied any links to the attack on the US troops and said it was not seeking an “expansion” of conflict in the Middle East.
In the past few weeks, regional tensions have intensified in the West Asian region, especially since the Israel-Hamas war. It has also drawn in Iran-backed groups in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
The Islamic Republic has previously said it sees a “duty” to support what it calls “resistance groups” in the region but insists they are “independent” in decision and action.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)
