Iran Will Reply If America-Israel Attacks

UNSPLASH/mostafa ILLUSTRATION

Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said Teheran would retaliate if the United States or Israel attacked.

Nasirzadeh's remarks came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against Iran over Tehran-backed Houthi groups that fired missiles that landed near Israel's main airport.

"If this war is initiated by the US or the Zionist regime (Israel), Iran will target their interests, bases, and troops - wherever they are and whenever it is deemed necessary," Nasirzadeh told Iranian state TV.

The Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi group launched a missile on Sunday landing near Ben Gurion Airport, which was the latest attack in a series of attacks, saying it acted as a form of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

"Attacks by the Houthis are from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthis attack on our main airport and, at the time and place we chose, against their Iranian terror rulers," Netanyahu said on social media platform X.

In line with Iran's official stance, Nasirzadeh said the Houthi group acted on their own motivational basis.

Iran's sided Houthi group has launched missiles and drones into Israel to support Hamas fighters.

The United States has been attacking Houthi strongholds in Yemen since March 15, with President Donald Trump pledging to hold Iran accountable for any attacks carried out by the group.

Iran "does not have any hostility towards neighboring countries", but if an attack occurs, US bases located in the region will be considered targets by Tehran, Nasirzadeh said.

The minister's statement follows Iran, which on Sunday launched a new solid-fueled ballistic missile "Qassem Bassir," which has a range of 1,200 km (750 miles), Iranian state media reported.