US Pushes Strike-without-Retaliation Message to Iran, Met with Firm Rejection
Tehran warns that even a limited US attack would trigger all-out war, dismissing Washington’s demand for restraint amid mounting military deployments.
Iran | PUREWILAYAH.COM — Senior Iranian media and government officials have revealed that the United States has conveyed threats of potential attacks on Iranian facilities through a third party, while expecting Tehran to tolerate such strikes without a decisive response.
Iranian officials have categorically rejected this premise, warning that any US attack, regardless of scale, would be treated as an all-out war.
The warning was delivered amid escalating regional tensions and a visible US military buildup surrounding Iran.
Iranian Media Official: Trump “Walking on the Edge of the Abyss”
Speaking to Al Mayadeen on Friday, Masha’Allah Shams al-Wa’izin, head of the Iranian Journalists’ Association and a member of the Government Media Council, said US President Donald Trump is “walking on the edge of the abyss.”
Shams al-Wa’izin stated that Washington has communicated through an intermediary that Iranian facilities could face attacks, while Iran is expected to absorb such strikes “without a severe response.”
He stressed that this assumption is fundamentally false.
For Iran, he said, any limited or surgical strike would be considered a full-scale war, sharply increasing the cost for any aggressor.
US and ‘Israel’ Accused of Engineering Armed Riots
Shams al-Wa’izin further asserted that the United States and the Israeli occupation planned and supported recent armed riots inside Iran, describing them as a continuation of pressure following the failure of the 12-day war imposed on the country.
He dismissed reports circulated by opposition networks regarding alleged developments inside Iran as fabricated narratives, stating that they originated from armed opposition groups operating from Tel Aviv and Paris.
“The United States wants Iran to surrender,” Shams al-Wa’izin said, stressing that no self-respecting nation could accept such demands.
He described US military deployments in the region as political signaling by Trump, while emphasizing that Iran possesses multiple power cards to respond decisively to any pressure or aggression.
Iranian Official to Reuters: Any Attack Equals All-Out War
Shams al-Wa’izin’s remarks followed statements made by a senior Iranian official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The official stated unequivocally that any US attack would be regarded as “an all-out war against us.”
Referring to the growing US military buildup in the region, including the repositioning of two aircraft carriers, the official said Iran hopes the deployments are not intended for direct confrontation, but confirmed that Iran’s military is fully prepared for the worst-case scenario.
“This time, limited, unlimited, surgical, and kinetic American attacks will all be treated as an all-out war,” the official said.
“We will respond in the hardest way possible to settle this.”
CENTCOM Commander Visits Tel Aviv as Threats Escalate
Amid the heightened tensions, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), arrived in Tel Aviv on Saturday for a brief visit, holding meetings with senior Israeli occupation security officials.
The visit comes as Trump continues to issue direct and indirect threats of military aggression against Iran.
Both Washington and the Israeli occupation have openly supported the violent armed riots that erupted inside Iran earlier this year, which Iranian officials view as a continuation of the failed 12-day war. Iranian officials have accused the United States and the occupation of orchestrating destabilization efforts aimed at enforcing regime change, while Israeli and US officials have implicitly acknowledged Mossad’s role in accelerating the unrest.
US Military Buildup Expands Around Iran
On Thursday, Trump stated that a significant number of US warships were moving toward Iran “just in case,” reflecting growing unease in Washington over Tehran’s regional posture.
According to The Wall Street Journal, multiple F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bombers landed in Jordan on January 18. The report added that the Pentagon is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the region, along with additional Patriot missile batteries and THAAD air defense systems.
Iranian officials have warned that these deployments are not defensive measures but part of a broader escalation strategy, stressing that any act of aggression will be met with decisive and comprehensive retaliation. (PW)