Iran military accuses US of 'escalating tensions' in region

TEHRAN: Iran's military accused the United States of 'escalating tensions' in the Middle East on Saturday and warned countries in the region against cooperating with Washington during the ongoing conflict. 'The United States is rapidly moving down the path of escalating tensions in the region,' said Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran's military central command. 'Any country serving as defensive shield for criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed by the flames of war,' he said in a statement read on state television.
The remarks came after US President Donald Trump reiterated threats to hit Iran 'very hard'. US media reported he was considering renewed heavy attacks as soon as this weekend, including against energy infrastructure targets. This week, Iran and the US resumed overnight exchanges of fire after a days-long lull in fighting although there were no reported strikes overnight on Friday to Saturday. The Middle East war broke out on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, which has retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the region.
President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran 'very hard,' as US media reported he was considering renewed heavy attacks as soon as this weekend, including against energy infrastructure targets. After more than five months of war, which began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, there is seemingly no end to the conflict, with resumed tit-for-tat attacks. 'We'll be hitting him very hard and, you know, at some point they're going to say, 'We just can't take it anymore',' Trump said on Friday as he hosted a cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
The Wall Street Journal later reported that Trump had ordered a fresh attack aimed at convincing Tehran to surrender, which could begin as soon as this weekend, citing unnamed US officials. CBS News meanwhile reported that the United States and Israel were planning joint strikes on energy-related targets, possibly throughout the weekend. Such targets would likely be oil refineries and power plants.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran's vital infrastructure throughout the war, vowing last week to destroy a bridge or power plant plant every time ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz are attacked. The president had not yet given the green light for the campaign, but Israel and the US were coordinating, CBS said, citing multiple unnamed sources.
The report comes just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington and met with Trump and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Some White House aides voiced strong objections to the plan at the cabinet meeting, the CBS report said. If the plan went forward, it would mark the first time that Israel has joined in attacks on Iran since the initial phase of the war.
Meanwhile, US embassies in several Middle Eastern capitals warned American citizens to beware an 'unforeseen escalation' in the regional conflict and urged them to be ready to leave. 'Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation,' said a security alert, versions of which were posted on social media by the US missions in Amman, Jerusalem, Muscat, Baghdad and Beirut.
The messages urged citizens to check flight details and to follow safety advice from local authorities. 'Americans currently in the Middle East should exercise caution and heightened vigilance and should be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions,' it said.
Americans in Jordan were told not to visit US military bases there, which have recently come under Iranian missile attack, and in Israel they were urged to seek the location of the nearest bomb shelter. 'The Iranian regime is unpredictable, as seen by its recent decisions to attack areas in the region without warning or provocations as well as to expand attacks to areas not previously targeted (such as Egypt),' said a post on the US Embassy Jerusalem site.
The US embassy in Beirut said that the mission remained on 'ordered departure status', meaning that non-emergency US government personnel were still relocated outside of Lebanon. On Wednesday a drone struck a US-owned gas vessel moored in an Egyptian port, causing a fire. Egypt is investigating but has not yet accused any group of launching the attack. — AFP