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(Reuters) – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Friday his country would not start a war but would give a “strong response” to anyone who tried to threaten it.
Raisi’s comments came after days of speculation over how Washington might retaliate after three US soldiers were killed in an attack by the Iran-backed group on their base in Jordan last Saturday.
The United States has approved plans for multi-day strikes against multiple targets in Iraq and Syria, including Iranian personnel and facilities in those countries, CBS News reported Thursday, citing American officials.
“We will not start any war, but if anyone wants to threaten us they will get a strong response,” Raisi said in a televised speech.
Raisi said, “Earlier, when they (the Americans) wanted to talk to us, they said the military option was on the table. Now they say they have no intention of conflict with Iran.”
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Raisi said, “The military power of the Islamic Republic in the region is not and has never been a threat to any country. Rather, it ensures security that countries in the region can trust and rely on.”
The United States has assessed that the drone that killed three of its soldiers and injured more than 40 others was made by Iran, four US officials told Reuters.
Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards are escorting senior officials out of Syria, sources said.
Iranian advisers assist armed groups in both Iraq, where the US has about 2,500 troops, and Syria, where it has 900.
(dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com; Editing by Alison Williams)
Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters,
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