Attack us and face all-out war, says Tehran

Iran warned that an attack on its territory would be met with ‘‘all-out war’’ as the US backed away from military action while claiming a ‘‘wide consensus’’ that Tehran was to blame for bombing Saudi oilfields.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, raised the stakes as the US and Saudi Arabia consider their response to the bombings by declaring: ‘‘We’ll have a lot of casualties, but we won’t blink to defend our territory.’’

Zarif denied that Iran played a part in the attacks, which were claimed by Houthi rebels based in Yemen. His comments came as Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, completed a visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates saying that President Donald Trump wanted a ‘‘peaceful resolution’’. Saudi oil output was severely affected by the attacks on the Khurais oilfield and the Abqaiq facility last weekend.

The US and Saudi Arabia have retreated from reprisal attacks on Iran even though Pompeo blamed Tehran for an ‘‘act of war’’.

Trump is looking towards next week’s UN general assembly in New York to build a coalition of allies for an escalation of the American sanctions that have already crippled Iran’s economy.

Zarif told CNN: ‘‘I think it is important for the Saudi government to understand what they’re trying to achieve. Do they want to fight Iran until the last American soldier? Is that their aim? Iran will defend itself.’’

Asked what would be the consequence of a US or Saudi strike, Zarif said: ‘‘An all-out war.’’ He added: ‘‘I’m making a very serious statement that we don’t want war. We don’t want to engage in a military confrontation.’’