Iran Warns It May Respond to Israeli Military Flights Over Neighboring States

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya command issued an unusual warning on Friday, saying it would respond if Israeli military aircraft fly through the airspace of neighboring countries on their way to Iran. The statement said Iran is monitoring the movement and presence of “military aircraft of the Zionist regime” over several neighboring states and described it as a dangerous move and a threat to the Islamic Republic.

The command added, “If the United States is unable to restrain and control the Zionist regime, the Islamic Republic will not tolerate any threat against it and sees itself as entitled to respond to these dangerous steps.” The warning suggests Tehran is preparing a response if such flights are used in any possible attack route.

Separately, Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned a joint statement issued by the United States and Persian Gulf states after Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to the region on Thursday. Tehran called the statement “provocative” and urged Gulf states to reconsider their security reliance on the United States.