Iran says there will be no war with US: IRNA

Published June 19, 2019
"There will not be a military confrontation between Iran and America since there is no reason for a war," says Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani. — AFP/File
"There will not be a military confrontation between Iran and America since there is no reason for a war," says Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani. — AFP/File

There will not be any military confrontation between Iran and the United States, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council was quoted as saying on Wednesday by the state news agency, IRNA.

Fears of a confrontation between Iran and the US have mounted since last Thursday when two oil tankers were attacked, which Washington has blamed on long-time foe Tehran, more than a year after President Donald Trump said Washington was withdrawing from a 2015 nuclear deal. Tehran denied any responsibility.

Read more: Iran says CIA spy network dismantled as tensions ratchet up

“There will not be a military confrontation between Iran and America since there is no reason for a war. Accusing other countries has turned into a common practice among US officials as they try to pressure other counties,” Ali Shamkhani said.

On Monday, acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan announced the deployment of about 1,000 more troops to the Middle East for what he said were defensive purposes, citing concerns about a threat from Iran.

“The recent Iranian attacks validate the reliable, credible intelligence we have received on hostile behaviour by Iranian forces and their proxy groups that threaten United States personnel and interests across the region,” Shanahan said in a statement.

The new US deployment to the Middle East is in addition to a 1,500-troop increase announced last month in response to tanker attacks in May. Washington previously tightened sanctions, ordering all countries and companies to halt imports of Iranian oil or be banished from the global financial system.

Opinion

Editorial

Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...
By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...