Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (File photo)
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday warned the United States’ Middle East allies that any potential US attack on the Islamic Republic would trigger a regional war, amid heightened tensions between the two countries following deadly domestic protests in Iran. Speaking at a legislative session, Khamenei told Iranians they “should not be scared” of US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric. “The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” he said.The warning follows Trump’s threats in response to Tehran’s crackdown on mass demonstrations that began in December over the high cost of living and evolved into a broader anti-government movement.
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Khamenei described the protests as orchestrated by the United States and Israel, calling them “riots.” “They (rioters) attacked the police, government centres, IRGC centres, banks, and mosques, and burned the Koran… It was like a coup,” he added, saying that “the coup was suppressed.”Tehran has acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths during the protests, stating most were security personnel and innocent bystanders, attributing the violence to “terrorist acts.” Rights groups and foreign governments, however, have accused Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of killing thousands of protesters. In retaliation for the European Union’s (EU) designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, Iranian lawmakers on Sunday labelled the armies of the EU member states as terrorist groups. Lawmakers donned the Guards’ green uniform and chanted “Death to America,” “Death to Israel,” and “Shame on you, Europe,” according to state television. Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf slammed the EU’s “irresponsible action,” citing “Article 7 of the Law on Countermeasures Against the Declaration of the IRGC as a Terrorist Organisation,” which allows Iran to classify the armed forces of European countries as terrorist groups. The immediate impact of the move is unclear.Sunday’s session coincided with the 47th anniversary of the return from exile of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic in 1979. The IRGC, the ideological arm of Iran’s military, is tasked with safeguarding the revolution from “external and internal threats.”The EU’s designation follows similar classifications by the United States, Canada, and Australia. Last June, Iran and Israel fought a 12-day war after Israel targeted Iranian nuclear-linked sites, with the US intervening on Israel’s behalf. The conflict ended after Trump mediated a truce, though regional tensions remain high.(With AFP inputs)
