Iran’s Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani warned on Tuesday the country would give a decisive, strong response to any miscalculation or mistake by enemies.
Ashtiani’s remarks follow Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian accusing Israel of “retreating from the battlefield and targeting civilians.”
During a press conference on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian said : “Resistance in the region is a reality.”
The minister, however, stressed that his country does not seek to expand the scope of the conflict in the region.
Amir-Abdollahian attempted to provide a comprehensive narrative of the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza.
He reiterated Tehran’s warnings about the widening of the war.
“The continued killing of civilians by the Zionists narrows the space for the forces of resistance in Palestine and the region,” said Amir-Abdollahian.
He expressed hope that the efforts of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the concluding statement of the recent Jeddah meeting would contribute to ending Israel’s crimes.
Amir-Abdollahian pointed out that Tehran had received US messages in recent days, speaking of at least two messages.
He explained that Washington does not want the war to expand and had called on Iran to exercise restraint.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron issued a warning to Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthi group in Yemen, cautioning them against “recklessly opening new fronts.”
This comes amid heightened alertness of US forces in the region to counter Iran-backed attacks.
The White House stated that in some instances, Iran “deliberately facilitates” missile and drone attacks by Tehran-backed groups on US military bases in Iraq and Syria.
US President Joe Biden has directed the Department of Defense to be prepared for further such attacks and respond appropriately, as reported by Reuters.
The agency also quotes a spokesperson from the US Department of Defense as saying that the US “has not observed any direct order from Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to attack US forces.”
On October 17, Khamenei had warned against the escalation of conflict in the region. He stated that no one would be able to halt the “forces of resistance” in the region if Israel’s crimes in Gaza continue.
