Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Jan 30: Iran on Thursday threatened to launch immediate strikes on US military bases and aircraft carriers in the event of any attack, escalating tensions after US President Donald Trump warned that time was running out for Tehran and the European Union designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organisation.
As rhetoric intensified from Washington and Brussels, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all sides to resume nuclear negotiations to “avoid a crisis that could have devastating consequences in the region”.
An Iranian military spokesman said Tehran’s response to any US action would be swift and decisive, unlike its limited retaliation in June last year when American forces briefly joined Israel in strikes on Iran. Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia told state television that US aircraft carriers have “serious vulnerabilities” and that several American bases in the Gulf are within range of Iran’s medium-range missiles.
“If such a miscalculation is made by the Americans, it will certainly not unfold the way Trump imagines,” Akraminia said, dismissing the possibility of a quick strike followed by a rapid withdrawal.
A Gulf official from a country hosting US military facilities told AFP that fears of a potential US strike on Iran are “very clear”, warning it could plunge the region into chaos, damage global economies and trigger sharp spikes in oil and gas prices.
Amid efforts to de-escalate tensions, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss regional stability, according to Qatar News Agency.
The European Union, meanwhile, increased pressure on Tehran by designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organisation, citing its role in crushing recent mass protests. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the decision as “overdue”, accusing the Iranian regime of suppressing its people “in blood”.
Iran strongly condemned the move, calling it “illogical and irresponsible” and accusing the EU of acting at the behest of the United States and Israel. Tehran has blamed the recent unrest on foreign interference, while rights groups say thousands were killed by security forces, including the IRGC, during the protests.
On the streets of Tehran, many citizens expressed despair and uncertainty. “I think war is inevitable. Something has to change,” a 29-year-old waitress told AFP, speaking anonymously. Another woman said economic hardship had pushed life to its “lowest point”.
Trump had earlier threatened military action over the killing of protesters during demonstrations that erupted in late December. His recent remarks, however, have focused on Iran’s nuclear programme, with the US president warning that a naval strike group deployed to the Middle East was “ready, willing and able” to act.
Conflicting casualty figures have emerged from the protests. US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency claimed over 6,300 people were killed, while Iranian authorities acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths, saying many were security personnel or bystanders.
In Tehran, billboards have appeared reinforcing the government’s stance, including posters depicting the destruction of a US aircraft carrier.