Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any military aggression by the United States against the Islamic Republic would escalate into a large-scale regional conflict.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that, according to the Tasnim news agency, the Iranian leader emphasized that Tehran has no intention of initiating a war or attacking other nations.
However, he stressed that the country would demonstrate firm resistance against any aggressor, stating:
"The Iranian people will give a crushing response to anyone who attacks or harms them."
Khamenei also urged the Iranian public not to be intimidated by statements from US President Donald Trump regarding the deployment of additional military forces to the Middle East. This follows reports that the US Navy's "USS Abraham Lincoln" carrier strike group began its transit toward the region on January 19, recently entering the Strait of Malacca on its route toward Iranian waters.
The deployment of such naval assets is a significant development in regional security dynamics. Historically, the presence of US carrier strike groups in the Middle East serves as a strategic deterrent and a means to ensure the stability of international shipping lanes, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz. This latest movement comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions and ongoing diplomatic shifts across the broader region.
