Iran to ‘open the gates of hell' if US or Israel launch attack, IRGC chief warns
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Maj Gen Hossein Salami on Thursday warned that Tehran would "open the gates of hell" if attacked by the US or Israel.
"These are serious warnings to the Zionist and American authorities ... if you make the slightest mistake, we will open the gates of hell for you," Maj Gen Salami said in a video carried by the Tasnim news agency.
He also warned the US that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was attempting to drag it into an "unending war", echoing similar statements by the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi days earlier.
Maj Gen Salami said Iran was "prioritising diplomacy while staying prepared for war at any level". Tehran and Washington have so far held three rounds of nuclear talks, with further negotiations expected to be held in the coming days.
His remarks come after strong threats issued by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who warned his country would act against Iran in the same way it did with its proxies in the region.
"What we have done to Hezbollah in Beirut, to Hamas in Gaza, to Assad in Damascus, we will do to you in Tehran," Mr Katz said, referring to deposed former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad.
Israel and Iran have intensified their war of words in recent days after a Houthi missile struck close to Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv. Israel responded by launching devastating strikes on Yemen's Sanaa airport and has accused Iran of supporting the rebel group.
Tehran has denied involvement in the airport attack.
'Undoubtedly, the Yemeni actions in support of the Palestinian people are independent decisions rooted in their human and Islamic solidarity with their Palestinian brothers and sisters,' Iran's Foreign Ministry said this week.
Last week, Iran accused the US of 'contradictory behaviour and provocative statements' after Washington warned Tehran of consequences for continuing to back the Houthi rebels. the US also imposed new, oil-related sanctions on Iran.
The US and the Houthis have since reached a ceasefire agreement, mediator Oman announced. It said the deal would ensure "freedom of navigation" in the Red Sea, where the rebels have attacked shipping.
But the Houthis have vowed to continue launching attacks on Israel and Israeli ships in the sea. They said the ceasefire with the US does not include Israel.
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