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Iran warned other countries in the Middle East that it will strike U.S. military bases on their territories in case of an attack by Washington, Reuters reported on January 14.
The report came right after President Donald Trump renewed his threats to the Islamic Republic over an ongoing wave of protests.
Trump told CBS News that the U.S. would act if Iran began hanging protesters, after Tehran prosecutors said Iranian authorities would press capital charges of “moharebeh,” or “waging war against God,” against some suspects arrested over recent demonstrations.
“I haven’t heard about the hanging. If they hang them, you’re going to see some things… We will take very strong action if they do such a thing,” said Trump.
“When they start killing thousands of people — and now you’re telling me about hanging. We’ll see how that’s going to work out for them,” he added.
Trump also said that “no one has been able to give us accurate numbers” on how many demonstrators the Islamic Republic has killed in its crackdown on the unrest.
“It looks like it could be a pretty substantial number, and that’s going to be a lot of problems for them,” he said. “I’ve heard two numbers, but we’ll see what that is.”
Asked what is “the end game” in the Islamic Republic, Trump answered, “the end game is to win. I like winning,” without elaborating.
In its latest report, the U.S.-based rights group Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) put the death toll from the protests, which began late in December, at 2,403 people, and said that more than 18,000 others have so far been arrested by security forces.
Not all the casualties were protestors, however, Iranian authorities held a mass funeral of 300 security personnel who were killed in the protests. Tens of thousands of mourners attended, holding Iranian flags and photos of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
With the situation in Iran largely under control, Tehran has begun to push back against recent threats from Washington, according to Reuters
“Tehran has told regional countries, from Saudi Arabia and UAE to Turkey, that US bases in those countries will be attacked if the US targets Iran… asking these countries to prevent Washington from attacking Iran,” a senior Iranian official told the news agency.
In separate phone calls overnight with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi elaborated on the recent protests, saying that “peaceful” Iranian people were driven into violence by foreign-linked individuals.
During the talks, Araghchi stressed that the “terrorists” provoked by the U.S. and Israel were responsible for the violence during the protests, assuring that calm had been restored thanks to the people’s vigilance and the efforts of the country’s law enforcement forces.
He slammed the recent “provocative” remarks by U.S. officials, including Trump, as “clear interference” in Iran’s internal affairs, underlining the Iranian people’s determination to defend the country’s national sovereignty and security against any foreign “maliciousness and intervention.”
And in another phone call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Araghchi called for the condemnation of foreign intervention in countries’ internal affairs.
These diplomatic efforts produced a result. CNN reported that three US-allied Gulf Arab nations have launched behind-the-scenes efforts to prevent an attack on Iran.
A regional official with knowledge of the matter told the network that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman are concerned that military action against Iran could have wide-ranging consequences for the region.
“Any military escalation will have consequences for the wider region, including its security and economy,” the official said.
Some Arab governments have also warned that an attack “could have the opposite effect” for ongoing protests, and “unite Iranians on both sides behind the regime,” the official added.
NBC News also reported that Israel asked the U.S. to hold off on attacking Iran for the time being. Citing a US official, an-ex U.S. official briefed on the matter, a person familiar with Israeli leaders’ thinking and two Arab officials, the network said that the Israeli and Arab officials prefer the U.S. wait to strike until the Iranian regime is further stretched.
The U.S. appears to be taking serious measures, however. A Reuters report revealed that the country is already withdrawing personnel from key bases in the region. Earlier reports said that the withdrawal includes Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the Middle East’s largest U.S. military facility, housing around 10,000 American troops.
Recent reports reflect clear hesitation among the allies of the U.S., including Israel, and some hesitation within the U.S. itself. This is likely very far from the truth. The intention to attack Iran goes back to even before the protests began, with many reports from November and December suggesting that the U.S. and Israel were planning an attack on the Islamic Republic under the pretext of countering its missile program.
While Israel is just attempting to distance itself to avoid a retaliation, the Arab allies of the U.S. may be genuinely concerned about an escalation. This will not likely stop Washington.
That’s being said, it is highly unlikely that a U.S. attack on Iran, even a large-scale one, would topple the government there. Trump may be planning to attack the Islamic Republic then resume talks on its nuclear and missile programs, but Tehran may not accept this.
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zionist airforce is not in time to save their mercenaries on the ground, they will be hanged and no amer filth is going to save them! :d
once again….. fleeing like the known cowards that they are.
iran has been attacked again with incited protests via the mossad and cia. i see no iranian response from the attack. how long will they tolerate this ? it is almost like they permit it, which means more attacks will follow