(TNND) — Iran has told the United States and UK that it could retaliate if the countries aid Israel in attacks amid fears the Middle East will descend into war.
“Any country that participates in repelling Iranian attacks on Israel will be subject to Iranian forces targeting all regional bases of the complicit government,” the state-owned Mehr news agency said, not citing any officials.
France was also included in the threat.
“The Iranian dictator is turning the citizens of Iran into hostages and bringing about a reality in which they – especially the residents of Tehran – will pay a heavy price because of the criminal harm to Israeli civilians,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Katz also said that if Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “continues to fire missiles toward the Israeli home front – Tehran will burn.”
The Israeli military said its raids had cleared its path to the capital.
“We have created aerial freedom of action from west Iran all the way to Tehran… Tehran is no longer immune,” said spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin.
Israel and Iran exchanged fire a day after Israel unleashed an unprecedented bombing that hit Iran’s nuclear facilities killing top commanders and dozens of civilians.
Iran retaliated hitting back with drone and missile strikes over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, killing three people and wounding 76.
After decades of conflict, this is the first time that Israel and Iran have traded intense fires, with fears of conflict now engulfing the region.
Israel launched its initial attack on Friday just days before Iran and the United States were expected to hold a sixth round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran’s UN ambassador said 78 people had been killed and 320 wounded in the first wave of Israeli strikes on Friday.