Iran will attack US bases in the Middle East if it is attacked by US forces deployed in the region, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today.
He stressed that this should not be interpreted as an attack on the host countries of these bases.
Araghchi spoke to Qatari television Al Jazeera a day after Tehran and Washington pledged to continue indirect negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue, following what both sides said were positive talks held in Oman.
Although Araghchi did not specify a date for the next round of talks, US President Donald Trump said they could be held as early as next week.
"Both we and Washington believe that the talks should take place soon," Araghchi said, according to the British news agency Reuters on its website.
Trump has threatened to attack Iran after the US military buildup in the region, demanding that Tehran abandon uranium enrichment over concerns it could build nuclear weapons, as well as its development of ballistic missiles and support for armed groups across the region. Iran has long denied it intends to militarize its nuclear program.
Although both sides have signaled a willingness to renew diplomacy over Iran's long-running nuclear dispute with the West, Araghchi has dismissed the possibility of expanding the talks to other topics.
"Any dialogue requires refraining from threats and pressure. Tehran talks exclusively about the nuclear issue. We do not discuss other topics with the US," he said.
Last June, the US bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, joining an Israeli attack on the country that lasted 12 days.
Tehran then announced that it had suspended uranium enrichment.
Iran's response then included a missile attack on a US base in Qatar, a country that maintains good relations with both Tehran and Washington.
In the event of a new American attack, the consequences could be similar, Aragchi said.
"We wouldn't be able to attack American territory, but we would target their bases in the region. We wouldn't be attacking neighboring countries, but American bases located in them. That's a big difference," he added.
Iran says it wants to be granted the right to enrich uranium and that including its missile program in the negotiations would leave the country vulnerable to possible Israeli attacks.
Bonus video:
