
Speaking on the escalating US–Israel vs Iran conflict, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh described the situation as an “existential war” for Iran. He claimed that Tehran is responding to attacks originating from U.S. military bases across the region and said Iran has no choice but to strike those locations. Khatibzadeh argued that Iran is targeting American assets rather than regional countries, amid rising concerns across the GCC and the Persian Gulf. He also said Iran seeks to push back what it views as aggression while warning that continued escalation could further destabilize the region and deepen the broader Middle East conflict.