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Zarif: Attack on Iran would mean 'all-out war'

Iranian officials have said that if the United States or Saudi Arabia strikes Iran over the recent attack on Saudi oil facilities, it is prepared to defend itself.
Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif attends a news conference with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not pictured) after their meeting in Moscow, Russia, September 2, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina - RC1C1AE4C400

In a Sept. 19 interview on CNN, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said there would be “an all-out war” if the United States or Saudi Arabia launched a military strike against Iran. The comment made headlines across Iranian media.

During the interview, Zarif stated, “We don’t war. We don’t want to engage in a military confrontation.” He added, “A military confrontation based on deception is … awful, will have a lot of casualties. We won't blink to defend our territory.”

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