Iran threatens to ‘decisively respond’ to any US strikes as Biden weighs retaliation for Jordan attack
Iran has threatened to retaliate to any US attack on the Islamic Republic after President Biden linked Tehran-proxies to the death of three American soldiers in Jordan and vowed to “respond.”
Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, warned that his country would not back down from an attack amid reports that the US is preparing retaliatory strikes in the Middle East over the deadly drone strike on Tower 22 over the weekend.
“The Islamic Republic would decisively respond to any attack on the country, its interests and nationals under any pretexts,” Iravani said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
The ambassador noted that any Iranian retaliation would be “strong,” but did not elaborate. He also denied reports that Iran and the US had been exchanging messages in recent days.
Iravani’s comments were echoed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard commander Gen. Hossein Salami, who claimed that Tehran would go to war if pushed by America and its allies.
“Sometimes, our enemies raise the threat and nowadays we hear some threats in between words by American officials,” Salami said at an event Wednesday.We tell them that you have experienced us and we know each other.
“We do not leave any threat without an answer,” he added. “We are not after war, but we have no fear of war.”
The response from Tehran came after Biden revealed on Tuesday that he had made up his mind on how to respond to the attack in Jordan, which killed Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, and left more than 40 other soldiers injured.
Biden did not reveal the details of his plan, but said it would stop short of starting another war.
“I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That’s not what I’m looking for,” the president said.
As tensions between Washington and Tehran rise, the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists continue their rampage in the Red Sea, launching an anti-ship cruise missile at a US Navy destroyer on Tuesday night.
The USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was able to shoot down the missile before it struck the ship, according to US Central Command.
“There were no injuries or damage reported,” Central Command said in a statement.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on Wednesday morning, describing it as “a victory for the oppression of the Palestinian people and a response to the American-British aggression against our country.”
The terror group appeared to reference the US and UK’s coordinated airstrikes against Houthi bases in Yemen.
The Houthis previously tried to claim that they attacked the USS Lewis B. Puller, a mobile base in the Gulf of Aden, on Monday, but the group provided no evidence, with the US rejecting the claim.
The Houthis also conducted an attack on the British-linked tanker, the Marlin Luanda, on Saturday, causing the ship to burst into flames, according to US Central Command.
UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said his nation would not tolerate the attacks and reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to fight off the Houthi rebels with the US.
Like Iran, the Houthi rebels warned that they, too, would be ready for war against the US and its allies if the fighting along the Red Sea and Yemen escalates.
“We are prepared for a long-term confrontation with the forces of tyranny,” Houthi commander Muhammad al-Attifi said in a statement.
“The Americans, the British, and those who coordinated with them must realize the power of the sovereign Yemeni decision and that there is no debate or dispute over it,” he added.
Since November, the Houthis have waged near-daily attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden as a show of support for Hamas and to pressure Israel to cease its bombardments in Gaza.
Although originally stating that it would attack Israeli-linked ships, the militant group has repeatedly targeted unaffiliated trading vessels and disrupted a key shipping route between Europe and Asia.
With Post wires
