Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned on Thursday that any attack on the Islamic Republic would lead to an "all-out war".
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Zarif made the comment to CNN after he was asked what would happen if Iran was attacked by the U.S. and its allies
“I am making a very serious statement that we don’t want war; we don’t want to engage in a military confrontation ... But we won’t blink to defend our territory,” Zarif told CNN in an interview.
The United States has been discussing with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies possible responses to an attack on Saudi oil facilities on Saturday which they blame on Iran, and which U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described as an act of war on the kingdom.
Zarif had earlier warned on Twitter that what he described as the B team - including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman - was deceiving U.S. President Donald Trump into a war against Iran.
Trump struck a cautious note on Wednesday. He said there were many options short of war with Iran, which denies involvement in the Sept. 14 strikes that initially halved Saudi oil output. He ordered increased sanctions on Tehran.
Zarif also said in a tweet on Thursday that Pompeo was trying to delay issuing visas for the Iranian delegation to the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.
Trump said he is not looking to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a U.N. event in New York this month.