A senior Iranian official said on Friday that Iran would treat any attack as a “full-scale war against us,” ahead of the expected arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier and other military assets in the Middle East in the coming days.
اضافة اعلان
Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, the official said: “This military buildup—we hope it is not intended for an actual confrontation—but our army is prepared for the worst-case scenarios. That is why everything in Iran is on the highest level of alert.”
He added: “This time, we will treat any attack—whether limited or comprehensive, a precise strike or a direct military targeting, whatever name they give it—as a full-scale war against us, and we will respond in the strongest possible way to decisively settle this matter.”
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States has a “fleet” heading toward Iran, but said he hopes he will not have to use it. He also renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or resuming its nuclear program.
The Iranian official said: “If the Americans violate Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we will respond,” without specifying the nature of that response.
He added: “No country facing a constant military threat from the United States has any option but to ensure the use of all its resources to respond, and, if possible, to restore the balance against any party that dares to attack Iran.”
In this context, Iran’s mission to the United Nations quoted a senior Iranian official as saying that “the collapse of the state would lead to regional collapse, which is what Israel wants.”
He stressed that “our situation is much better than it was during the 12-day war.”
State of Alert
In a related development, Israel’s public broadcaster (KAN) reported that a state of readiness and alert remains in place in anticipation of a possible U.S. military action against Iran.
Israeli officials are seeking to calm public tensions, stressing that even in the event of an attack, settlers would be given sufficient warning.
U.S. Central Command chief General Brad Cooper is scheduled to arrive in Israel today, where he will meet with Israeli officials.
Israeli officials note that the enhanced U.S. military presence in the region could serve as a potential platform for a U.S. strike, but could also be used as a military threat to push negotiations with Iran forward.
Flight Cancellations
Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Air France decided to postpone its decision on canceling flights to Ben Gurion Airport until Saturday morning, after previously announcing on Friday that it had canceled flights to the destination.
It also confirmed that the Dutch airline KLM abruptly canceled its two overnight flights scheduled for Friday and Saturday to Israel, “with the reasons still unclear.”
The i24news website also reported that Germany’s Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines canceled their flights to Israel for Saturday.
By contrast, the spokesperson for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization confirmed that flights are continuing as normal, and that Iranian airspace has not been closed or evacuated.
