Mohammad Marandi, a former advisor to the Iranian negotiating team, warned Saturday evening that if President Trump orders a strike on Iran tonight, Tehran's 'decisive response' will begin immediately. Marandi also urged people to leave the 'dictatorships in the Persian Gulf.'
At 22:54 Jerusalem, former Iranian negotiator Mohammad Marandi warned that if President Trump orders a strike on Iran tonight, Tehran's 'decisive response' will begin immediately. Marandi also urged people to leave the 'dictatorships in the Persian Gulf.' The warning follows his earlier statement at 22:37 Jerusalem, in which he said tonight may be 'the last night of daily life in the Middle East.'
The new remarks are the latest in a rapid escalation of threats from Marandi over the past several hours. Beginning at 18:37 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported a series of warnings from the Iranian official. Initial reports cited a single source warning that 'tonight will be the last night of normality in the Gulf.' Within minutes, Marandi was identified as the source, and subsequent updates named Gulf states, Israel, and Jordan as potential targets if Iran's civilian infrastructure is attacked. By 18:37, Marandi had specifically threatened an 'overwhelming response' and said the Trump administration's statements were the basis for the warning.
As The Zioneer reported earlier this evening, the threats come amid heightened US-Iran tensions, with President Trump warning of potential strikes on Iran. The context includes Trump's earlier calls for Iran to return to negotiations and the US military being placed on alert. Marandi's call for civilians to leave Gulf states suggests Tehran may be preparing to target regional US allies in the event of an American attack.
It remains unclear whether a US strike is imminent. Marandi's warnings are unilateral and have not been independently corroborated by other sources. The specific nature and scope of a potential Iranian 'decisive response' have not been detailed.
7 developments
- StrongMarandi says 'time to evacuate' Gulf states in latest response to Trump threat
- DevelopingSenior Iranian official says Iran will attack 'strongly' starting tonight
- StrongIranian official warns of 'strong response' to any US attack; reported evacuations from Tehran
- DevelopingIran negotiator Marandi warns Tehran can 'crush Trump's economy'
Source and signal
- Open-source intake