Iran is seeing intensifying nation-wide protests that have reported left over a 100 people dead in the surrounding violence.
US President Donald Trump had earlier expressed his solidarity with the protestors, and several US outlets have reported that Trump has OK-ed a strike on the Islamic Republic.
AP reported that Iran's parliament speaker Qalibaf warned that Israel and US troops would be "legitimate targets" if American went ahead with any strikes.
Nationwide protests challenging Iran’s government have flooded the streets of the country's second-largest city, crossing the fortnight mark, and leaving at least 16 people killed in the violence surrounding the demonstrations.
Meanwhile, Associated Press has reported that Iran’s parliament speaker warned the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America strikes the Islamic Republic, as threatened by President Donald Trump. Qalibaf made the threat as lawmakers rushed the dais in the Iranian parliament, shouting: “Death to America!"
Iranian state television broadcast the parliament session live. Qalibaf, a hard-liner who has run for the presidency in the past, gave a speech applauding police and Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, particularly its all-volunteer Basij, for having “stood firm” during the protests.
“The people of Iran should know that we will deal with them in the most severe way and punish those who are arrested,” Qalibaf reportedly said.
He reportedly directly threatened Israel, referring to it as “the occupied territory”, and the US military, possibly with a preemptive strike.
“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said. “We do not consider ourselves limited to reacting after the action and will act based on any objective signs of a threat," he said according to AP.
Trump had offered support for the protesters, saying on social media that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, though citing anonymous US officials, said on January 10 night reported that Trump had been given military options for a strike on Iran, but hadn’t made a final decision.
The US State Department had also separately warned: “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it.”
(With inputs from Associated Press)
