American politicians are being warned of 'all-out war' as US military assets close in on Iran, following weeks of unrest across the country that have seen thousands of citizens killed or injured.
An Iranian official made the reprimand as an 'armada' of warships sent by Trump arrives in the region, two weeks after the president said America would help the protesters in their fight against the Islamic Republic's leaders and a deepening economic crisis.
Their shot across the bow comes barely six months after the last explosive exchange between Israel and Iran, which saw close to 1000 missiles rain down from the sky in both countries, alongside thousands of suicide drones.
That 12-day exchange devastated key parts of Iran's nuclear and civilian infrastructure, but did not see the country escalate its missile response to directly target Israel's key backer. But an Iranian official speaking anonymously to Reuters is warning that the US will not get off so easily next time.
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The official said: "This time we will treat any attack – limited, unlimited, surgical, kinetic, whatever they call it – as an all-out war against us, and we will respond in the hardest way possible to settle this."
Their comments came shortly after the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and a number of missile-launching destroyers arrived in the Gulf of Oman, with the group getting into striking range off Iran's southern coast.
Unlike last year's 12-day war and in the wake of President Trump's attack on Venezuela that saw the country's President Nicolas Maduro kidnapped and flown to a holding cell in New York City, the Iranians are promising an all-out response.
The regime official continued: "If the Americans violate Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we will respond.
"This military build-up – we hope it is not intended for real confrontation – but our military is ready for the worst-case scenario. This is why everything is on high alert in Iran."
This rhetoric has even been stepped up with direct threats against the President being made on state TV, with the national broadcaster warning that 'this time, the bullet won't miss' over footage of Trump's failed assassination.
The threat has clearly been heard in Washington, which began pulling troops out of bases within striking range of the Islamic Republic two weeks ago.
But in the meantime, protesters in Iran continue to be shot and arrested over calling for an end to the 47-year-old Islamic revolution, which saw the Western-backed autocratic Shah removed from power and replaced with religious clerics.
One woman fighting for liberation in Iran shared with the BBC how widespread the unrest had become across Iran, sharing: "There were women and men from seven to 70 years old.
"On just one street there were 200 to 300 people. People were chanting 'Death to the dictator' and 'Long live the shah'."
Topics: Iran, Politics, World News, Donald Trump
William Morgan