Iran Adviser: US Strike Means Israel Gets Pulled In Immediately
Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, appeared in military uniform on Al-Mayadeen TV and declared Iran is fully ready for any war while warning that any U.S. strike would inevitably draw Israel into the fight. He insisted Tehran will keep all enriched uranium inside the country and rejected any transfer outside Iran.
Ali Shamkhani, senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, appeared in military uniform during an interview on Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen TV Monday, explaining that the current atmosphere around Iran's borders demands a military posture.
When the interviewer noted it was the first time seeing him in uniform, Shamkhani replied, Of course I am a military man, meaning my original profession is military. And the atmosphere prevailing in the region, on our borders, must take on a military character. Meaning, this is a message that we are ready for confrontation.
He issued a clear warning that the restraint shown during the 12-day war will not be repeated. The patience of the 12-day war will not be repeated, Shamkhani said. We have precise information and data indicating that certain areas have actively issued threats directed against us. We have conveyed a message to some countries in the region that we will no longer show forbearance, and to other countries we wanted to make this clear explicitly.
Shamkhani emphasized that everyone bears responsibility to prevent disaster in the region. It is incumbent upon all of us to participate in preventing this event and this catastrophe in the region, to the extent that it is possible the one who starts this war will not be the United States.
Addressing potential talks with Washington, he stated Iran is ready for practical negotiations with Washington and no one else, as Europe has proven its inability to do anything. The discussions will focus solely on the nuclear issue.
On uranium, Shamkhani firmly rejected any transfer of enriched material abroad. There is no reason to transfer the stored materials outside Iran. There is no need for all these complicated procedures. Our program is peaceful, our capabilities are domestic, and the 60% enrichment level can be reduced to 20%, but they must pay a cost.
He reiterated Iran's consistent stance from previous rounds. In the previous rounds we had three no's: we do not seek a nuclear weapon, we will not go to produce it, and we will not store it, and they must offer a price for that.
Shamkhani also warned that any U.S. strike would automatically involve Israel. Israel and America are not two different elements. They are one entity. Our response to Israel is inevitable and is tied to their actions and steps.