Military strike on Iran would trigger “all-out war”:FM of Iran

Iran’s foreign minister Muhammad Javad  Zarif has said a military strike on Iran would trigger “all-out war”, as the United States (US) and its Gulf allies accuse Iran of being behind attacks on Saudi oil installations.

TEHRAN:

Asked about the consequence of “an American or Saudi military strike on Iran” in an interview with CNN , Mohammad Javad Zarif answered: “An all-out war.”

“We don’t want war, we don’t want to engage in a military confrontation,” he said, warning it would lead to “a lot of casualties”.”But we won’t blink to defend our territory,” he added.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for Saturday’s strikes on Saudi oil installations, but the United States forgein Officials says it has concluded the attack involved cruise missiles from Iran and amounts to “an act of war”.

Saudi Arabia, which has been mired in a five-year war in Yemen, has said Iran “unquestionably sponsored” the attacks and the weapons used in them were Iranian-made, but has not directly blamed its regional rival.

Iran has repeatedly denied US and Saudi incrimination that it arms the Houthis rebels.