ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) – Iran’s president came out blazing in Pakistan on Tuesday, taking a defiant, hard-line stance and issuing a fiery warning to Israel – ratcheting up the rhetoric after a recent flare-up in hostilities between the two bitter adversaries.
Speaking at a university in the Pakistani capital, Ebrahim Raisi pulled no punches, declaring that if Israel dares to attack Iranian soil, it risks paying an unthinkable price. “If Israel makes the crazy mistake of attacking sacred Iran, well, the situation will be different,” Raisi said, eyes flashing. “There might not be anything left of the Zionist regime.”
Wow. Those are definitely some fighting words from the Iranian hardliner, doubling down on his country’s harsh anti-Israel stance and refusal to back down. It’s the type of uncompromising bluster we’ve come to expect from Tehran.
The fiery comments from Raisi come on the heels of a dangerous escalation earlier this month when Iran launched a barrage of missiles and armed drones at Israel in an unprecedented direct attack. Iran claimed the strikes on April 13 were “completely successful” retaliation for a prior Israeli strike that killed Iranian troops in Syria.
But Israel insisted it managed to shoot down most of the Iranian projectiles, with the barrage ultimately causing minimal damage. Four days later, Israel appeared to hit back, striking an air base in central Iran – though Tehran has downplayed that strike, calling the weapons used mere “toys.”
Still, fears are growing of the shadow war between the two sworn enemies spiraling out of control into an open military conflict that could destabilize the entire Middle East region. Both sides have been engaged in a deadly campaign of covert attacks and proxy battles across the region for years.
It’s unclear if Raisi’s bombastic remarks in Pakistan signal Iran is gearing up for further provocation or just more bluster. The supremeLeader Ayatollah Khamenei has praised the strikes on Israel but stayed mum about the Israeli retaliation strike so far.
Raisi is in Pakistan looking to reinforce ties with the key Iranian ally and project Iranian strength amid the crisis. His scorched-earth warning about wiping out Israel certainly made that point – even if it remains an empty threat for now.
