- Official says Iran on high alert after US military build-up in ME.
- Even Limited or ‘Surgical’ Strike to Trigger Full-Scale War: Iran.
- Says Iran’s military is prepared for worst case scenario.
Iran will treat any attack “as a total war against us,” a senior Iranian official said on Friday, ahead of the arrival of a US military aircraft carrier strike group and other assets in the Middle East in the coming days.
“This military build-up – we hope it’s not meant for real confrontation – but our military is ready for the worst-case scenario. That’s why everything is on high alert in Iran,” the senior Iranian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“This time we will treat any attack – limited, unlimited, surgical, kinetic, whatever they call it – as a total war against us and we will respond in the strongest possible way to resolve this,” the official said.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States had an “armada” headed for Iran but hoped he would not have to use it as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear program.
“If the Americans violate Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we will respond,” the Iranian official said. He declined to specify what an Iranian response might look like.
“A country under constant military threat from the United States has no option but to ensure that all its resources can be used to push back and, if possible, rebalance against anyone who dares to attack Iran,” the official said.
The US military has in the past periodically sent increased forces to the Middle East during times of heightened tension, moves that were often defensive. However, the US military staged a major build-up last year ahead of its strike against Iran’s nuclear program in June.
