Iran will treat any military strike against it as an \u201call-out war,\u201d a senior Iranian official warned on Friday, as the United States prepares to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group and additional military assets to the Middle East in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said Iran\u2019s armed forces were on the highest level of alert amid what he described as a worrying US military buildup in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis military buildup \u2014 we hope it is not intended for real confrontation \u2014 but our military is fully prepared for the worst-case scenario,\u201d the official said. \u201cThis time, any attack \u2014 whether limited, surgical or otherwise \u2014 will be considered an all-out war against us, and we will respond with maximum force.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The warning comes after US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a US naval \u201carmada\u201d was heading towards Iran, though he expressed hope that force would not be required. Trump also renewed warnings to Tehran over the killing of protesters and any attempt to restart its nuclear programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf the Americans violate Iran\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we will respond,\u201d the Iranian official said, without elaborating on the nature of a potential response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that Iran, facing constant military pressure from Washington, had no choice but to ensure it was capable of defending itself and restoring balance in the region if attacked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The United States has previously reinforced its military presence in the Middle East during periods of heightened tension, often citing defensive objectives. However, Washington carried out a major troop and asset buildup last year ahead of its June strikes on Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities, escalating regional concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Iran will treat any military strike against it as an \u201call-out war,\u201d a senior Iranian official warned on Friday, as the United States prepares to deploy an aircraft carrier strike… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":694,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[599,182,598,156,597],"class_list":["post-710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-aircraft-carrier-deployment","tag-iran-us-tensions","tag-iran-warning","tag-middle-east-security","tag-us-military-buildup"],"yoast_head":"\n