Facing drone strikes, Iran warns any US military action means war

In the wake of a drone strike against at least one defence factory in the central city of Isfahan, Iranian officials told Newsweek that any military option pursued by the United States against the Islamic Republic would result in all-out conflict with regionwide ramifications.

While the US military has denied any role in the attack that took place late on January 28, local time, unnamed US officials cited in major outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have placed the blame on Israel, a US ally and Iran's top foe, which has neither accepted nor denied involvement. No other entity has come forward with claims of responsibility.

But with President Joe Biden halting efforts to revive participation in the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), administration officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken have asserted that "every option remains on the table" in ensuring that Tehran could not produce a nuclear weapon.

Iranian officials, who have consistently denied pursuing such a weapon of mass destruction, have warned that any military action the US takes would spark a far larger escalation between the two powers.

"In Iran's perspective, the use of the military option at any level means US entry into the war," Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations told Newsweek.

"For now," the Mission noted, "Iran considers such a possibility to be weak."

But the Mission also stated that "if the US miscalculates and starts a war," the "consequences for the region and the world" of such conflict would be "up to" Washington.

In the event of such a development, the Mission asserted that "there is no doubt that Iran possesses the capability to defend its security and interests".