TEHRAN: A senior Iranian official warned on Friday that the country would treat any attack as an “all-out war”, threatening the “hardest way possible” response ahead of the arrival of a US military aircraft carrier strike group and other assets in the Middle East.
Tensions have spiked in the region, leading European airlines to alter or cancel routes, as US President Donald Trump said an “armada” was heading toward the Persian Gulf.
“This military buildup — we hope it is not intended for real confrontation — but our military is ready for the worst-case scenario. This is why everything is on high alert in Iran,” said the senior Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
“This time we will treat any attack — limited, unlimited, surgical, kinetic, whatever they call it — as an all-out war against us, and we will respond in the hardest way possible to settle this,” the official said.
The Iranian official warned against any violation of borders.
“If the Americans violate Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we will respond,” the official said, declining to specify what that response might look like.
“A country under constant military threat from the United States has no option but to ensure that everything at its disposal can be used to push back and, if possible, restore balance against anyone who dares to attack Iran,” the official added.
Regional neighbours expressed concern on Friday regarding potential escalation. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in a televised interview that there were signs Israel was still seeking an opportunity to attack Iran, warning such a move could further destabilise the region.
“I hope they find a different path, but the reality is that Israel, in particular, is looking for an opportunity to strike Iran,” Fidan said.
Airline avoids Middle East
The rising geopolitical friction has immediately impacted commercial aviation.
The Dutch arm of airline group Air France-KLM announced on Saturday that KLM would avoid flying over large parts of the Middle East until further notice.
“As a precaution, given the geopolitical situation, KLM will not fly through the airspace of Iran, Iraq and Israel and will not fly over several countries in the Gulf region,” a KLM spokesperson said.
The decision means KLM will not fly to Dubai, Riyadh, Dammam and Tel Aviv. The airline did not specify a single event that provoked the decision, though fears of conflict have grown following Trump’s deployment order.
Air France, which belongs to the same group as KLM, resumed its Dubai service on Saturday after temporarily suspending it the day before.
The French airline said it was “monitoring developments” in the region “to ensure the highest level of flight safety and security”.
Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2026
