Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that the scope of the war will widen if the United States attacks again. In a written statement on Wednesday, he said it is wrong to expect a change in Washington’s hostile policy because President Donald Trump suffered a major setback in the midterm elections.
Earlier, after the Republicans’ heavy defeat in the US midterm elections, Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the American people had voted against war. However, President Donald Trump has the power to order new attacks on Iran despite the electoral setback.
Trump said the United States had attacked Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. Iranian state media reported five explosions on the island. Trump claimed that an air defense system built there had been destroyed. On the other hand, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed that a US MQ-1 drone had been shot down in their airspace.
Trump has previously threatened to attack multiple Iranian targets, but has said that a full-scale war may not be necessary again, saying the United States is prepared to strike if necessary.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to avoid conflict continue. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said efforts are underway to resolve the crisis through dialogue. Qatar also said the two sides were reviewing their proposals. China said preventing a new conflict was now the main goal of its diplomatic efforts.
The Iran-Iraq war began in February with a massive attack by the US and Israel. The conflict has been virtually at a standstill for months, but Tehran has been warning of a massive response if there is a new attack.
