Iran warned Sunday that any US attack would trigger «painful attacks» in retaliation, delivered «without any limitations or considerations,» after President Donald Trump said he was actively weighing whether to authorize strikes in the Middle East.
The warning came from Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters, which said in a statement that «any mistake will result in painful attacks.» The statement, reported by Al Jazeera, accused Washington of seeking to «cover up its failures and achieve fabricated gains in a war that was launched based on Israeli lies and stage-managing and has been sustained through deception and trickery.»
Speculation that a US attack could be imminent intensified Saturday night after Trump abruptly cut short his weekend getaway in Maryland and returned to the White House without explanation. He was accompanied by Natalie Harp, a 35-year-old aide.
On Sunday morning, Trump told Fox News that he was in a «deciding mode» about whether to authorize strikes. He told correspondent Trey Yingst that whatever he decided, «very big things» would take place in the «not-so-distant future.» Trump also said «wiping Iran out» was actively being considered, adding that «if and when» he decides to «blow the entire nation up,» Iranians had «better behave.»
Iranian officials are reportedly already preparing for the possibility that the United States will resume hostilities. The Khatam al-Anbiya statement cautioned Trump to think carefully about his next move, saying the US had «once again decided, with the green light from some regional countries, to resume actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran at a joint meeting in a European country.»
The military headquarters also warned US allies in the region that they would be «considered complicit» in any attack on Iran if American bases on their territory were used. «We warn that if the countries of the region — by continuing their dual policy toward the Islamic Republic of Iran — align with the Great Satan's aggression against a powerful and sovereign Iran they will all be considered complicit in this evil and can no longer expect restraint or decency from Iran's powerful armed forces,» the statement said.
The exchange marks a sharp escalation in rhetoric between Washington and Tehran, with Iran signaling that it would respond immediately and without restraint to any US military action. The statement's reference to a «joint meeting in a European country» suggests Iranian officials believe regional powers have coordinated with Washington on a possible strike.
Trump's remarks to Fox News, including his suggestion that Iranians had «better behave,» represent some of his most explicit public comments yet about the possibility of a military confrontation. His sudden return to the White House on Saturday night fueled further speculation about an imminent decision.
Iran's warning that US allies could be targeted as «complicit» raises the stakes for countries hosting American military bases in the Middle East. The statement did not specify which nations it was referring to, but it warned that those aligning with the US would «no longer expect restraint or decency» from Iran's armed forces.
The situation remains fluid, with Trump saying a decision is still pending and Iranian officials preparing for the possibility of renewed hostilities. The Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters said it had received information that the US had decided to resume actions against Iran, though it did not provide details on the source of that information.