Iran Warns ‘Won’t Hesitate’ to Respond to US; ‘Don’t Put West Asia’s Wrath to Test’

Iran on Monday warned the United States against testing the “wrath of West Asia,” threatening retaliatory strikes if the US, UK forces struck its territory. Iran "will not hesitate" to respond in the event of US attacks on its territory or troops, country’s ministry said shortly after the White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was asked by the reporters in Washington if Biden administration will strike Iran directly for the attacks on the US troops in Syria and Iraq.

Iran had previously distanced itself from having any role in the drone strikes by the proxies on the US forces on the border of Syria and Jordan at T-22 outpost of Al-Tanf base that killed 3 American soldiers. "If (Iran) chose to respond directly to the United States, they would be met with a swift and forceful response from us," Sullivan told American broadcaster NBC. On prospect of striking Iran, he added, "it would not be wise for me to talk about what we're ruling in and ruling out.”

Iran ‘always reacts decisively to any threat to its security’

In response to the US, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said that the Islamic Republic “has shown that it has always reacted decisively to any threat to its security, territorial integrity and sovereignty.” He added that Iran "will not hesitate to use its capabilities” to respond to the attacks on its soil. Kanani added that Iran, however, “does not seek to aggravate tensions and crises in the region.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meanwhile warned the US, and the UK against acts of aggression in West Asia, warning that the two nations must not “test the wrath” of the region. In a post on his official X account, Amir-Abdollahian denounced the latest barrage of airstrikes in Yemen, Syria and Iraq.

In a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, the Iranian minister announced that the “continuation of war is not a solution,” referring to the talks held by both sides on sidelines of 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss city of Davos. “Do not test the anger of the region. We consider the security of Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Palestine (Gaza and the West Bank) to be the security of the region,” the top Iranian diplomat said.