Iran recently announced its capacity to develop nuclear weapons and issued a stern warning to the U.S. and Israel, threatening a “tooth-breaking response” to Israel’s latest attack on Iranian military targets.
What Happened: Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, addressed students on Saturday, ahead of the anniversary of the 1979 US embassy seizure in Tehran.
He pledged a robust response to the actions of the U.S. and Israel against Iran and its allies, including Tehran-backed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
According to the report by the New York Post, the declaration comes on the heels of a statement from top adviser Kamal Kharrazi on Friday, who suggested that Iran could revise its stance on using nuclear weapons if faced with a significant threat.
"The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a tooth-breaking response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front," Khamenei said in a video released by the state media.
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“If an existential threat arises, Iran will modify its nuclear doctrine, we have the capability to build weapons and have no issue in this regard,” Kharrazi told Lebanese media, as reported by Fox News.
The threats have intensified following Israel’s Oct. 26 attack on Iran, which targeted multiple military bases and resulted in at least five deaths. The Israeli strikes were in response to Iran firing over 200 missiles at Israel on Oct. 1.
Why It Matters: The escalating tensions between Iran and Israel could potentially plunge the Middle East into a full-scale regional conflict.
The situation is already precarious due to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Simultaneously, the Iranian economy is grappling with international sanctions and protests, causing the Iranian currency, the rial, to plummet to near an all-time low following Khamenei’s speech.
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