Tensions in the Middle East surged on Tuesday as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States against further military involvement in the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, even as Israel claimed it had successfully struck 40 strategic Iranian sites in recent operations.
In a televised address, Khamenei declared that any direct U.S. action would be met with a “decisive and overwhelming response,” accusing Washington of fueling regional instability and siding blindly with Israeli aggression.
“The Islamic Republic will not hesitate to defend its sovereignty,” Khamenei said. “Those who fan the flames of war must prepare to bear the consequences.”
The warning comes amid intensified Israeli strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, weapons depots, and alleged Revolutionary Guard sites in Syria, Iraq, and Iran itself. Israel’s defense forces stated the attacks were preemptive and aimed at “disrupting Iranian military entrenchment and proxy operations.”
Israeli military officials claim the airstrikes have significantly degraded Iran’s regional capabilities, although Tehran has downplayed the damage and vowed retaliation.
The U.S. has so far limited its involvement to intelligence sharing and diplomatic backing for Israel, but with the conflict escalating, fears are mounting over the possibility of a wider regional war that could pull in American forces and allied nations.
In response to Khamenei’s warning, the White House reiterated its call for de-escalation but maintained that the U.S. will defend its interests and allies in the region.
Meanwhile, UN officials and global leaders are urgently calling for restraint, warning that continued hostilities could trigger a humanitarian crisis and destabilize the broader Middle East.
As rhetoric sharpens and military actions intensify, the world watches anxiously — uncertain whether diplomacy can hold back a full-blown regional confrontation.
