Iran warns of invasion if attacked by neighbors

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that it will invade any country in the Middle East that attacks Iran. This warning comes as tensions in the region continue to rise.

IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebi spoke on Wednesday, saying that Iran's security approach has become more aggressive. He stated that Iran's defense strategy has moved from being defensive to “offensive and asymmetrical.”

According to Al Jazeera, Mr Mohebi mentioned that Iran had a defensive strategy before, but the situation has forced a change. “We announced that if a country attacked us, we would respond to it,” he said.

“Now, we say if a country attacks us, we will respond to it, and we will invade. Our doctrine will no longer be only offensive and will become asymmetrical. We will attack the enemy in such a way that it will understand the intensity of our action.”

The ongoing US-Iran war, which has lasted over seven months, has increased tensions in the Middle East. Strikes and exchanges between the two countries continue, as negotiations and diplomatic efforts have failed to resolve the conflict.

The US and Iran are still at odds over the control of the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, and Iran's uranium enrichment program. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the country is ready to try diplomacy again. But this depends on “strong evidence of a sincere desire by the US to build trust and reach a just solution.”

“If the US chooses war over diplomacy, it’ll certainly result in an even greater strategic failure.”

The IRGC has also threatened to attack US military bases in the region if tankers continue to pass through the waterway illegally.

The armed forces announced that they would escalate “confrontation to US bases” in the region if Washington continues to push “vessels to pass through mined waterways illegally.”

The IRGC claimed that its navy hit four ships involved in oil transfers in the Gulf, and three other vessels caught fire after hitting mines near the Strait of Hormuz.

“The US aggressor military must understand that, if this continues, the scope of confrontation will extend to the bases of the aggressors in the region. This is a serious warning,” it said.

Mr Mohebi also mocked the United States regarding the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the situation could affect the upcoming midterm elections for President Trump’s Republican Party.

“The Strait of Hormuz has squeezed the economic and political throat of the United States,” he said.

In a related development, Iran described the US naval blockade as “a flagrant violation” of international law and the UN Charter. This was noted in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Security Council President Aglaia Balta.

The letter, from Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gholam Hossein, asked the global body to call on the US to stop its military actions against Iran and lift the maritime blockade.

He urged the UN to recognize that Washington is responsible for its “internationally wrongful acts, including its military aggression” and any “continuing violations of international law.” He emphasized that the obligations to stop wrongful actions and make full reparations still apply under international law.