Iran will respond firmly if US becomes directly involved in Israeli strikes, says UN ambassador
Iran has conveyed to Washington that it will respond firmly to the US if it becomes directly involved in Israel's military campaign, the Iranian ambassador to the UN in Geneva said on Wednesday.
Ali Bahreini told reporters he saw the US as 'complicit in what Israel is doing'. Iran would set a red line and respond if the US crosses it, he said, without specifying what actions would provoke a response.
Israel launched an air war on Friday after saying it had concluded Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. Iran has denied seeking nuclear weapons. US President Donald Trump called on Tuesday for Iran's 'unconditional surrender'.
Bahreini called Trump's remarks 'completely unwarranted and very hostile. We cannot ignore them. We are vigilant about what Trump is saying. We will put it in our calculations and assessments.'
The US has so far taken only indirect actions, including helping to shoot down missiles fired towards Israel. It is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, three US officials said.
'I am confident we [Iran's military] will react strongly, proportionally and appropriately. We are closely following the level of involvement in the US. We will react whenever it is needed,' added Bahreini.
Thousands of people were fleeing Tehran and other major cities on Wednesday, Iranian media reported, as Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other.
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So the ancient timeless agitation between Israel and the Arab world has reignited – again. Is Iran, the last of the seven countries on General Wesley Clarke's 'memo', finally about to fall? Or, is Israel about to be blown off the map? Tel Aviv awoke to a terrifying Tuesday this week as Iran unleashed a barrage of back-to-back missile strikes on the Israeli city, killing at least 24 and wounding hundreds, in what Tehran called a 'campaign of revenge.' Iran also struck the port city of Haifa (which receives a third of Israel's imports) on day 5 of the tit-for-tat attacks between the two Middle Eastern countries. Iran's counterstrike is retaliation to Israel's airstrike on more than 100 nuclear, military and infrastructure targets across Iran last Friday – including its main nuclear facility in Natanz – that killed several top Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists. Israel's attack came two days before Iran was set to resume talks with the US over Iran's nuclear programme. 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The axis may be way over schedule, and no doubt over budget, but they are right on course. And what is the big gripe with Iran? Well, apart from the usual, stock-standard, Western Arabiophobic racism? According to Israel – and their loyal slavish pit bull, the US – Iran is in the process of creating a nuclear weapon. We've heard the words countless times before. Israel, specifically Netanyahu, has said it over and over, ad nauseam; 'Iran CANNOT have a nuclear weapon!' And Trump just basically parrots his puppetmaster, Bibi. In fact, do you know how many times, and for how long, Benjamin Netanyahu has been crying wolf, going on and on about Iran building an atomic bomb? Believe it or not…since at least 1992. Some say as early as 1984. Here are just a few dates and quotes from when Bibi tried to terrorise the world with Iran's phantom nuke: 1992: 'Iran is 3-5 years from nuclear capacity.' 2003: 'Iran's nuke programme is a global threat.' 2010: 'Iran could produce a bomb within a year.' 2021: 'Iran closer than ever to nuclear weapons.' 2024: 'Iran dangerously close to nuclear bomb.' 2025: 'Iran days away from enrichening uranium for a bomb.' That's right, according to Bedlam Bibi, Iran has been right on the cusp of building a nuke…for decades. Unfortunately, these fear-mongering, propaganda lies are regurgitated by the Western echo chamber mainstream media, particularly in the US. By the way, this is the same Netanyahu who said we could restore peace to the Middle East if we could just get rid of Iraq's Saddam…if we could just get rid of Libya's Gaddafi….if we could just get rid of Syria's Assad. Well, all that happened, and…do we have peace in the region? And now, Bibi is saying…if we could just remove the Iranian regime, there would finally be peace in the Arab world. Are we learning yet…? So, let me get this straight. Everyone else in the world can have nukes…but not Iran? Russia and the US have more than 5000 nuclear missiles each. France and the UK have more than 200 each. China, India, Pakistan and North Korea have nearly 1000 between them. And we have the nations of Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands 'hosting' more than 100 nukes collectively. Yet, Iran is not even allowed to have… one? What's that all about…? Just more of that Western Arabiophobic racism? Here's the thing though…there's no substantial proof that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. And it's not just me – and the Iranians – saying it. On 25 March this year, Trump's director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, appeared in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee where she made it clear that US intelligence has determined Iran is not building a nuclear weapon. In her opening statements, she said: 'The IC [intelligence community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.' She also said the IC was closely monitoring if Tehran decided to reauthorise its nuclear weapons programme. However, you know who doesn't give a toss what Gabbard or the IC think? Their boss, President Donald J. Trump. In a brief interview on Airforce One on Tuesday, a reporter reminded Trump what Gabbard said to the Senate Committee about Iran not having a nuclear weapon. Trump responded, 'I don't care what she said, I think they were very close to having one.' (Nice. Way to go, throwing your DNI under the bus there, Big Don.) That's because Trump doesn't care what his cabinet, staff, advisors, voter base or the American people think or want. He only cares what Benjamin Netanyahu wants. Because, as we've well established, Trump is Bibi's patsy, Bibi's b**ch. It's clear now that Trump was never about America First or MAGA, he was always about MIGA. If Israel and the US thought ratcheting up tensions with Iran was somehow going to spur the Iranian people to turn against the 'regime' in Tehran and overthrow the Ayatollah and his government, they were dead wrong. All the airstrikes did was coalesce and galvanise the Iranian people, against their common foe. As one article put it, Israel is making the case for a nuclear-armed Iran. In fact, a video has gone viral of an Iranian woman at a rally in Tehran, without a hijab, shouting and calling for Iran to acquire a nuke – the very thing Israel and the US are trying to prevent. 'These b*st*rds have been driving us crazy for 400 years', she said. 'These scoundrels spent a year and a half killing half a million people. Now, an attack (on us). We want an atomic bomb!' The crowd around her cheered her on. 'The Strait of Hormuz? Close it already,' she snapped. I don't have to tell you what happens to oil and petrol prices if that happens. If Iran does shut down the Strait, economists estimate it could push the oil price (currently around $75 per barrel) up to $130 p/barrel. Some speculators are talking $300 per barrel. Which means they won't have to forcibly lock you down again…because you won't be able to afford to drive anywhere. Trump's actions on Iran – and Israel – has split the MAGA base, down the middle. While the usual warmongering neocons – like senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, Mike Pompeo and John Bolton – to name a few, are salivating at the prospect of destroying yet ANOTHER Middle-Eastern country, anti-war voices are coming out of the MAGA camp in droves. Here's what some experts, analysts, commentators and many from the MAGA base are saying on X about Trump's recent double-play against Iran: Conservative commentator and staunch Trump supporter, Tucker Carlson wrote; 'The real divide isn't between people who support Israel and people who support Iran or the Palestinians. The real divide is between those who casually encourage violence, and those who seek to prevent it — between warmongers and peacemakers.' He asked, 'Who are the warmongers? They would include anyone who's calling Donald Trump today to demand air strikes and other direct US military involvement in a war with Iran.' Carlson was also just in an interview with former Trump advisor, Steve Bannon. Both men were devout in their opposition to Trump attacking Iran. Republican representative for Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has been amongst the most vocal voices on Capitol Hill against a war with Iran. 'Anyone slobbering for the US to become fully involved in the Israel-Iran war is not America First or MAGA. Wishing for murder of innocent people is disgusting. We are sick and tired of foreign wars. All of them,' she posted. 'Real America First/MAGA wants world peace for all people. I don't want to see Israel, Iran or Gaza bombed. This position is NOT antisemitic. It's rational, sane, and what many Americans voted for in 2024,' she added. Comedian and podcaster, Dave Smith, posted; 'It's genuinely hard to imagine a worse decision than going to war with Iran. They pose absolutely no threat to us and the war would be a substantially larger catastrophe than Iraq. If you wanted to destroy the USA, another disastrous war in the Middle East would be the move.' Republican representatie for Kentucky, Thomas Massie, posted; 'This is not our war. But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution.' 'I'm introducing a bipartisan War Powers Resolution to prohibit our involvement. I invite all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolutionm,' he added. Other military and political analysts were more direct and brutal in their take on Trump's buckling to Bibi's push for (more) war. In an interview with Judge Napolitano, ex-CIA analyst Larry Johnson said: 'Donald Trump now has established himself in the last 48 hours as a liar.' He added: 'You know what this is? This is Saddam Hussein – Part 2.' In another interview with Napolitano, military and intelligence analyst, Scott Ritter, said: 'What the president just did here is undermine American legitimacy, and credibility, and shows that America is incapable of serious diplomatic engagement. What this proves is that Donald Trump – the most pro-war president out there – is a duplicitous, two-faced liar.' In an interview with Carlson, military analyst Douglas Macgregor said: 'The way Donald Trump handled Zelensky is the way he has got to handle Netanyahu. If he doesn't, Netanyahu will drag him into the abyss…because Bibi wants this war with Iran – come hell or high water.' Meanwhile, the US has reportedly dispatched a second aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, among other 'substantial military assets' to the Middle East as the Israel-Iran conflict ramps up. On Monday 16 June, Trump posted this on his Truth Social; 'Iran should have signed the 'deal' I told them to sign. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!' Then he added: 'Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' That last line has sparked a mass exodus out of the city – of 10 million people. He followed that up in the past 24 hours with an apparent threat aimed at Ayatollah Khamenei when he posted: 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there. We are not going to take him out, at least not for now. (Did he just borrow a line from Juju?) But our patience is wearing thin.' Finally, he delivered an ultimatum to Iran: 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' As the tit-for-tat strikes between the two countries continues into the sixth day, Israel has just announced that they've killed another Iranian military commander who was appointed only 4 days ago. Well, here we go again, folks. Like we've seen so many times before; left or right, Republican or Democrat. No matter who's in the Oval Office, the wars never end and the bombs keep dropping. Are we learning yet..? I think journo-activist, Caitlin Johnstone, said it best when she recently posted on X: 'There is absolutely no excuse for buying into the war propaganda about Iran after what we all saw with Iraq.' 'If you're a grown adult with internet access still swallowing this load of bull in the year 2025, you're either stupid…or evil,' she added. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
