Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. Photo: Handout / AFP / Profimedia
Iran will strike US military bases in the Middle East if it is attacked by US forces deployed in the region, Iran's foreign minister said on Saturday, stressing that this should not be interpreted as an attack against the states that host these bases, Reuters notes.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi made the remarks in an interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera, a day after Tehran and Washington announced they would continue indirect talks on the nuclear program following what both sides described as positive talks in Oman on Friday.
Although Araqchi said no date had yet been set for the next round of talks, US President Donald Trump said they could take place as early as next week.
“We and Washington believe it should happen as soon as possible,” Araqchi said.
Trump has threatened strikes against Iran after building up the US naval presence in the region, demanding that Tehran abandon uranium enrichment, a possible path to nuclear weapons, as well as stop ballistic missile development and support for armed groups in the region. Tehran has consistently denied that it is pursuing the militarization of nuclear fuel production.
“We will target American bases located on the territory of neighboring countries”
Although both sides have indicated they are willing to resume diplomacy over Iran's long-running nuclear dispute with the West, Araqchi rejected the idea of extending the talks beyond that framework.
“Any dialogue requires giving up threats and pressures. (Tehran, no) is only discussing its nuclear issue… We are not discussing any other issue with the United States,” he said.
Last June, the US bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, joining in the final stages of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Tehran later said it had suspended uranium enrichment activities.
Iran's response at the time included a missile attack on a US base in Qatar, a state that maintains good relations with both Tehran and Washington.
In the event of another US attack, Araqchi said the consequences could be similar.
“An attack on American territory would not be possible, but we will hit their bases in the region,” he said.
“We're not going to attack neighboring countries; we're going to target US bases on their territory. There's a big difference between the two.”
Iran says it wants recognition of its right to enrich uranium and says putting its missile program on the negotiating agenda would leave it vulnerable to Israeli attacks.
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