Iranian cleric threatens destruction of Israeli cities
Tensions rise after Jewish state hits positions in Syria
TEHRAN, Iran — A prominent Iranian cleric Friday threatened two Israeli cities with destruction if the Jewish state “acts foolishly” and attacks its interests again, while thousands of protesters demonstrated against President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal with world powers.
The comments by Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami followed a week of escalating tensions that threaten to spill over into a wider conflict between the two bitter enemies, who have long fought each other through proxies in Syria and Lebanon.
Israeli airstrikes struck Iranian military installations inside Syria on Thursday — its biggest coordinated assault on Syria since the 1973 Arab-Israel War — in retaliation for an Iranian rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the occupied Golan Heights. It was the most serious military confrontation between the two rivals to date.
Thousands protest
Khatami said the Jewish state could face destruction if it continues to challenge Iran.
“The holy system of the Islamic Republic will step up its missile capabilities day by day so that Israel, this occupying regime, will become sleepless and the nightmare will constantly haunt it that if it does anything foolish, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground,” he said, according to state television.
His remarks drew chants of “Death to America!” from those gathered for Friday prayers in Tehran.
Thousands later demonstrated across the country to protest Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
In a lengthy statement Friday, the Iranian government warned that it would take “whatever reciprocal measures it deems expedient” if it is not fully compensated for the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement as provided for in the accord.
Rising oil prices
After Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the deal Tuesday, President Hassan Rouhani warned that Iran would resume uranium enrichment at an even higher rate if the accord collapses. He ordered Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to negotiate with the countries still in the deal to try to save it, and Friday’s statement reiterated that Zarif was seeking “required guarantees” from the five other parties to the agreement.
The 2015 nuclear deal imposed restrictions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of most of the U.S. and international sanctions against Tehran.
However, the deal came with time limits and did not address Iran’s ballistic missile program or its regional policies. Trump has repeatedly pointed to those omissions in referring to the accord as the “worst deal ever.” But proponents of the deal have said those time limits were meant to encourage more discussion with Iran in the future.
European governments tried for months to persuade Trump to stick with the deal but failed, and now fear it will raise the risk of conflict in the region.
Aside from the mounting military tensions between Iran and Israel, oil prices are rising on the uncertainty.