Iran's president makes tough statement after US approves attack plan

In a televised speech today, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stressed: "We will not start any war, but if anyone wants to bully us, they will receive a strong response."

"Previously, when they (the Americans) wanted to talk to us, they said that the military option was on the table. Now they say that they have no intention of conflict with Iran... The military power of the Islamic Republic in the region is not and has never been a threat to any country. Instead, it provides security that the countries of the region can rely on and trust," Raisi added.

Has the US approved Iranian targets for attack?

President Raisi made the above statement after CBS News on February 1 quoted US officials as saying that Washington had approved a plan to carry out multi-day attacks in Iraq and Syria targeting many targets, including Iranian personnel and facilities.

Earlier, on January 30, US President Joe Biden said he had decided how to respond to the drone attack in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border on January 28 that killed three US soldiers and injured more than 40 others.

Tổng thống Iran tuyên bố rắn sau thông tin Mỹ đã duyệt kế hoạch tấn công- Ảnh 1. — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi speaks at an event in Iran on January 5.

The US has accused Iran-backed militias of carrying out the attack, while Tehran has denied involvement.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on January 29 that the US response “could be multi-layered, phased and sustained over time.” US officials are considering how to punish the Iran-backed militia without triggering a broader conflict.

So far, US officials have not publicly said where the UAV used in the attack came from. Meanwhile, Reuters on February 1 quoted some US officials as saying that the US has assessed that the UAV was produced by Iran. They did not provide the model of the UAV involved and said the analysis is still ongoing.

Although initial indications suggested that the drone used in the January 28 attack was likely linked to Iran, an official assessment was only made recently after officials recovered parts of the drone, according to Reuters.

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