Iran warns retaliation against any US attack

DUBAI/WASHINGTON — Iran's parliament speaker warned on Sunday that the United States military and Israel would be "legitimate targets" if Washington strikes the Islamic Republic, as threatened by US President Donald Trump.

The comments by Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf came after The New York Times reported on Saturday that Trump has been briefed in recent days on new options for military strikes against Iran, citing anonymous US officials familiar with the matter.

Qalibaf made the threat as lawmakers rushed to the dais in the Iranian parliament, shouting,"Death to America!" The comments represented the first to add Israel into the mix of possible targets for an Iranian strike.

Israel is on high alert for the possibility of a US intervention to support a nationwide protest movement in Iran, sources said.

Trump "has not made a final decision, but the officials said he was seriously considering authorizing a strike in response to the Iranian regime's efforts to suppress demonstrations set off by widespread economic grievances", the Times reported.

The US president has been presented with a range of options, including strikes on nonmilitary sites in Tehran, the report added.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump wrote on social media that "Iran is looking at freedom, perhaps like never before", adding that the US"stands ready to help".

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned "interventionist and deceptive" remarks by the Trump administration regarding the unrest, saying they reflected Washington's continued hostility toward the Iranian people.

Xinhua - Agencies