Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, made the declaration in an interview with CNN as the US, which has announced highest sanction ever, begins troop deployment to the kingdom.
Notin that Iran hoped to avoid conflict and was willing to talk to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Zarif stated that his country would not discuss with the US unless it gets full relief from sanctions as promised under the 2015 nuclear deal.
Insisting that Iran did not blow up Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, Zarif threatened that a US or Saudi military strike would lead to “all-out war.”
“I make a very serious statement about defending our country. I am making a very serious statement that we don’t want to engage in a military confrontation,” said Zarif.
Tehran’s top diplomat added that a military response based on “deception”would cause “a lot of casualties. But we won’t blink to defend our territory”.
Meanwhile, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Major Gen. Hossein Salami, has issued similar warning.
“Be careful, a limited aggression will not remain limited. We will pursue any aggressor,” he remarked on state TV broadcast at the weekend.
Earlier, Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said that the kingdom is “certain” that the drone launch did not come from Yemen, as Houthi rebels there claimed.
His words: “It came from the north. It was done with Iranian weapons, therefore we hold Iran accountable for this attack. The kingdom will take the appropriate measures based on the results of the investigation, to ensure its security and stability.”
