Iranian Official: We Will Target American Bases in the Region in Response to Any Attack

SadaNews - A senior Iranian official said today, Wednesday, that Tehran has warned countries in the region that it will bomb American military bases in those nations if it is attacked by the United States, following threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene amid anti-government protests across Iran.

The Iranian official was quoted by Reuters as saying, "Tehran has informed the countries in the region, from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Turkey, that American bases in those countries will be targeted if the United States attacks Iran... and requested these countries to prevent Washington from attacking Iran".

Three diplomats told Reuters that some individuals were advised to leave the U.S. military base at Al Udeid in Qatar by this evening.

The Iranian official added that direct communications between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Tappan had been suspended following Trump's threats, emphasizing that U.S. threats undermine diplomatic efforts and that any potential meetings between the two officials to find a diplomatic solution to the decades-long nuclear dispute have been canceled.

Meanwhile, the U.S.-based human rights activist news agency (HRANA) reported today that the death toll from the protests in Iran has reached 2,571.

The renewed confrontation between Washington and Tehran, following the war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran last June, could exacerbate the instability in the Middle East, which has already been ravaged by Israel's genocide campaign in Gaza.

Trump urged Iranians yesterday to continue protesting, claiming that "help is on the way," while Iranian officials accused the U.S. and Israel of fueling the violence in the country, placing responsibility for the deaths on "terrorist elements" receiving foreign instructions to incite.

According to HRANA, it has so far verified the deaths of 2,403 protesters, 147 government-affiliated individuals, 12 persons under eighteen, and nine civilians not participating in the protests.

An Iranian official said yesterday that about 2,000 people have been killed, marking the first time authorities have announced a total death toll from more than two weeks of unrest across Iran.

When asked by reporters about the meaning of the phrase "help is on the way," Trump told them to figure it out themselves. Trump had stated that military action is among the options he is considering to punish Iran for its crackdown.

Trump announced a 25% tariff on products coming from any country that conducts trade with Iran, a major oil supplier. China, which imports a significant portion of Iranian oil exports, quickly criticized this move.

An Israeli source who attended a phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday said that the two sides discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention in Iran.

Iran has pledged to retaliate against any attack by targeting Israel and U.S. bases and ships.

Trump declared that he canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the "senseless killing" of protesters stops, and in a subsequent statement, he told Iranians to "remember the names of the killers and aggressors... because they will pay a heavy price".

Iranian officials have intensified their diplomatic communications in the region over the past few days, making phone calls to officials in Qatar, Turkey, and Iraq.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced today that Araghchi spoke with his Emirati counterpart. The UAE is one of Iran's most important trading partners and is also a close ally of the United States and Israel.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry reported that Araghchi told his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan that "tranquility prevails (in Iran) thanks to the vigilance of the people and security forces," and that Iranians are determined to defend their country's sovereignty and security against any foreign intervention.

Araghchi spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrault yesterday and urged him to condemn "foreign intervention in Iran's internal affairs".

So far, there are no signs of a split in the Iranian security elite that indicate an imminent end to the Iranian regime's rule.

During a visit to one of Tehran's prisons today, the head of Iran's Judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, stated that expediting punishment for those who "beheaded or burned people" is crucial to ensure that such events do not recur.