Iran warns of irreparable consequences after US nuclear site strikes
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, condemned the US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, declaring that the United States has struck "the heart of the Islamic world” and must await "irreparable consequences", Mashreq news reported.
The strikes, carried out by US B2 bombers in the early hours of June 22, targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities in central Iran, namely Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. These attacks follow a period of heightened military tension that began on June 13 with Israeli military actions against Iranian locations, which were met by Iran's retaliatory strikes.
In a strong statement, Velayati asserted that now that the United States has initiated this war, it should be clear that ending it will not be in their hands, and Iran will ultimately have the final say.
He also warned that "If American forces use any country in the region or anywhere else to strike at Iran, it will be a legitimate target for our armed forces."
He further declared that there would be "no place for the presence of the United States and its bases in this region and the Islamic world."
Velayati also highlighted what he described as unprecedented unity among Muslim nations, noting that for the first time, the foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League have "strongly condemned the actions of the usurping regime (Israel) and its supporters."
He suggested this newfound solidarity reflects the shared views of Muslim and Arab nations regarding the United States and Zionism.
The senior advisor added that the world and particularly the "very sensitive region of West Asia (the Middle East)" are undergoing fundamental changes, with existing balances and equations rapidly shifting.
"West Asia is not Greenland, and the Strait of Hormuz is fundamentally different from the Panama Canal," he said.
Concluding his remarks, Velayati criticised US President Donald Trump, asserting that, like his "stupid puppet," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump is acting impulsively on the international stage, without thoughtful consideration and against the true interests of the United States.