Iran will respond to any attack against its infrastructure, including by striking Israel, the head of the country's top security body said on Friday. The warning comes as Tehran and Washington have resumed fighting this week in their most significant exchange since a June 17 ceasefire agreement.
What did Iran's security official say about Israel?
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr said any attack on Iran's infrastructure will be retaliated against, warning that Israel would not be safe from the response of Iran's fighters. He made the statement in remarks carried by state TV on Friday, as tensions between Iran and the U.S. escalated sharply.
Why did fighting resume between Iran and the U.S.?
Fighting picked up again this week in the most significant exchange of fire since the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17. That agreement sought to formalize an April ceasefire and guide talks toward ending the war. The U.S. military carried out heavy strikes overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, saying it targeted 90 military sites.
Iran accused Washington of also targeting civilian infrastructure to detract from the funeral of late supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Bridges and railway links between Tehran and Khamenei's hometown of Mashhad, where he was buried on Thursday, were hit, according to Iranian authorities. Iran says 17 people have been killed in the U.S. strikes.
What role has Israel played in the latest escalation?
Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the Israeli prime minister spoke with the U.S. president on Thursday, who briefed him on the latest American moves in the Gulf. Later that evening, Iranian state media reported a U.S.-Israeli attack on a military headquarters near Bushehr, the site of Iran's only civilian nuclear plant.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was prepared to resume its military campaign against Iran if needed, vowing to do so with even greater force.
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