TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he warned an unnamed regional leader that any military attack on Iran would provoke a swift and reciprocal response, including against U.S. military assets in the Middle East if Washington became directly involved.
Speaking about a private exchange, Araghchi said the leader had suggested that Iran’s nuclear and oil facilities could be destroyed in a future strike and that Tehran would be unable to mount an effective response.
“I told him the situation is not as simple as you think,” Araghchi said.
The foreign minister stressed that Iran would respond proportionally to any attack on its territory, adding that U.S. military bases across the region would become potential targets if the United States joined any military action against Iran.
“Our missiles may not reach the United States itself, but they can strike its military bases in the region,” he said.
Araghchi also warned that attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for regional oil exports and global energy markets.
“If our oil facilities are destroyed and we cannot export oil, then no other country in the region will be able to export oil either,” he said.
The minister further claimed that some U.S. and Israeli officials had previously assured regional governments that Iran’s ability to sustain military retaliation would be limited. However, he argued that recent developments had cast doubt on those assessments.
The remarks come amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East and continued concerns over the possibility of a wider regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
