Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has issued a stern warning regarding the potential escalation of hostilities, stating that any war with the United States would not be contained to a bilateral confrontation.
"We have repeatedly warned regional countries: if America enters a war with us, the conflict will not be limited to us and the U.S.; it will encompass the entire region," Araghchi stated.
The Foreign Minister clarified that this escalation is not necessarily a matter of Iran's preference, but a geopolitical reality. "It is not about our desire to expand the scale of the clash, but rather the fact that American bases and facilities are scattered throughout our region," he explained.
Araghchi dismissed assurances that certain facilities might not be involved in strikes against Iranian interests. "From our point of view, these bases are legitimate targets because they belong to a country attacking us, even if claims are made that they are not being used against Iran," he said.
The Iranian diplomat further accused the United States of ongoing aggression, alleging that American weaponry is responsible for civilian casualties. "America strikes our country's facilities daily—hospitals and schools. More than 160 innocent schoolgirls have died from American bombs and missiles," Araghchi claimed.
"And they tell us that we should not strike their regional bases just because a specific base did not participate in the attacks? What kind of talk is this?" the Foreign Minister concluded.