An Iranian military official said on Sunday that Iran would expand its attacks in the region if the US restarts airstrikes against the Islamic Republic, which have been halted for two days following 13 consecutive nights of the US bombing the country.
“I believe that if the Americans once again fall for the Zionists’ deception, or move in line with them, and insist on continuing the war, particularly through airstrikes, geographically this will expand further,” said Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia, according to AFP.
Since the US paused its airstrikes, Iran has also stopped its retaliatory attacks on US bases, which have targeted facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, the UAE, and Jordan, where at least three US troops were killed, and dozens were injured in recent weeks. US attacks on Iran this month have killed more than 50 Iranians, according to Iran’s Health Ministry.
The US halted its strikes on Iran after President Trump threatened to carry out his biggest attack yet, and according to a report from The New York Times, he has shelved plans for a major escalation, at least for now.
The report said that the pause came after Trump held a meeting with his top aides, who warned that a major escalation risks depleting US Patriot missile interceptors and other air defenses to a dangerous level. Officials also expressed concern about more regional escalations, as Saudi Arabia appears to be back at war with Yemen’s Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, following the Saudi strikes on the Sanaa international airport in Yemen, an attack that President Trump approved.
US officials have framed the pause in strikes on Iran as a way to give room for diplomacy, but it’s unclear if any negotiations are taking place at all, and the renewed US bombing campaign made talks with the US even more politically fraught than before. While the strikes have halted for the moment, they could restart at any time, and the US continues enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports.
