Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States today that "if they start a war against Iran, this time it will be a war in the entire region", the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
The statement by the 86-year-old ayatollah is the most direct threat he has made so far, the AP points out. His statement was broadcast by Iranian state television.
"We are not the instigators and we do not seek to attack any country. But the Iranian nation will deal a strong blow to anyone who attacks or harasses it,“ said Ali Khamenei.
Earlier today, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared the armies of EU countries “terrorist groups” in response to the European Union's decision on Thursday to put the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on its list of terrorist organizations.
The corps reports solely to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the AP noted.