Iranian diplomat warns of 'all-out war' should U.S. or Saudi Arabia attack

Mohammad Javad Zarif.
(Image credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday warned that if the United States or Saudi Arabia launches an attack on his country, it will launch an "all-out war."

Over the weekend, Saudi oil facilities were damaged in a drone and cruise missile attack. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen took credit for the incident, but the U.S. and Saudi Arabia say Iran was behind it, an allegation Tehran denies. Zarif told CNN that Iran "won't blink to defend our territory," but does not "want war. We don't want to engage in a military confrontation. We believe that a military confrontation based on deception is awful."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is visiting the United Arab Emirates, and responded by saying he was doing "active diplomacy while the foreign minister of Iran is threatening all-out war to fight to the last American."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.