The US has been building up its military presence in the Middle East to counter Iran’s “threat”, causing concerns that one wrong move could spark a war between the two countries and plunge the whole region into instability.
Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah has cautioned the US against striking Iran in a TV address on Al Quds Day. He insisted that if Washington attacks the Islamic Republic, the whole region will rise against it and its interests in the Middle East.
“The US knows well that any war on Iran will not remain confined to Iran’s borders. The entire region will burn, leading to all US forces and interests in the region being annihilated”, he said.
Nasrallah further reminded US President Donald Trump that when the Middle East is “on fire”, oil prices can spike up to $200 or even $300 per barrel, referring to the 1973 oil crisis, which almost quadrupled the crude prices after the OPEC states embargoed countries that supported Israel.
At the same time, the Hezbollah leader voiced doubts that the US would dare to initiate a war with Iran, because it understands the possible consequences for all parties involved.
Tensions between Iran and the US have escalated recently over Washington tightening its sanctions against the Islamic Republic’s oil trade and its increasing regional military presence. The US recently sent an aircraft carrier strike group, 1,500 troops and a regiment of B-52 bombers to the Middle East in a bid to deter the Iranian “threat”.
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Tehran slammed Washington’s moves, cautioning it against trying to attack the country and vowing retaliation in response to any aggressive move. At the same time, Iranian leader Ali Khamenei stated that Iran seeks no war with the US. Tehran insists that is ready to hold talks with Washington if the Trump administration changes its policies and starts acting in accordance with international law.