Iranian lawmaker says Tehran would respond in kind if US used nuclear weapon
Tehran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday said that the government would extend full support to the armed forces with “all our might” and that this support would “continue despite limitations and challenges,” according to the state news agency ISNA.
Speaking in a cabinet meeting, Pezeshkian stated that the government would “spare no effort to meet the needs of the armed forces”, adding that this was on the “government’s agenda”.
Iranian lawmaker says Tehran would respond in kind if US used nuclear weapon
An Iranian lawmaker said Tehran would respond in kind if the US used a nuclear weapon against Iran, commenting on a media report about the possibility of such an attack, according to local media on Wednesday.
Fada Hossein Maleki, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, made the remarks in an interview with Iranian news outlet Khabar Online.
Asked how likely he considered a US nuclear attack on Iran, Maleki said: “I do not rule out an ill-considered action by (US President Donald) Trump, but I do not think he would dare to do such a thing, because such an action could plunge the world into a dangerous war.”
“If such an action is taken, the Islamic Republic of Iran will also respond, and its reaction will be proportionate to the type of weapon used against Iran,” he added.
Pressed on whether this meant Iran would use a nuclear weapon if the US attacked Iran with one, Maleki replied: “Whatever the US uses, Iran will respond to it.”
Maleki did not explicitly say that Iran possesses nuclear weapons.
The lawmaker also warned Washington against further military action, saying Iran has “multiple options” at its disposal and that any US move could draw a response “at the same level or even beyond.”
“Many of Iran’s weapons and military capabilities have not yet been unveiled,” Maleki said, arguing that Tehran has moved from a defensive posture to what he described as “active and offensive deterrence.”
Turning to stalled Tehran-Washington talks, Maleki accused Trump of failing to honour commitments under the memorandum of understanding between the two sides.
He said Iran would not return to negotiations unless Washington abides by its previous commitments, adding that issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, would otherwise remain unresolved.
Maleki said Iran’s talks with Oman are a separate bilateral track, adding that Tehran rejected US participation in those discussions.
NATO is prepared to address any threat, official says
NATO is prepared to address any threat and will always do what is necessary to defend all allies, a NATO official said on Wednesday in response to questions about a report in the Financial Times that Iran has allegedly weighed attacking US military targets in Europe should Donald Trump escalate the war.
“As demonstrated earlier this year when NATO air defences successfully intercepted ballistic missiles heading to Turkiye from Iran on four separate occasions, our deterrence and defence posture is strong and effective,” the official said.
Iran weighs strikes on US military targets in Europe if war escalates: report
Iran has considered striking US military assets in Europe if US President Donald Trump escalates the war, as Tehran weighs options to expand the conflict beyond the Middle East, the Financial Times claimed in a report on Wednesday.
Citing two people close to the Iranian government, the British daily said Iranian forces had assessed potential strikes on US assets in southeastern European countries, including Bulgaria, which last month approved the use of its Bezmer air base by US refuelling aircraft.
Cyprus, where a British air base was hit by a drone in March, has also been considered among potential targets in the event of a renewed US offensive, according to one of the sources.
Iranian forces have separately examined the possibility of targeting subsea fibre-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz in the event of further escalation, the report said.
One source told the Financial Times that Tehran was preparing options to expand the conflict if Trump followed through on previous threats to attack Iranian infrastructure.
“Should the US go too far, Iran will defend itself at any price, go beyond the region and hit Europe too,” the source said.
The report comes as negotiations over reopening the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled and prospects for renewed Tehran-Washington talks have dimmed.
Trump said Tuesday that there were “no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled” with Tehran.
Iranian military officials have previously warned that any military base used to launch attacks against Iranian territory could be considered a target.
The report also cited military experts as saying that Iran has missiles capable of reaching parts of southern and southeastern Europe, although their effectiveness and accuracy could decline at longer ranges.
