Iran, US heat up war of words despite virus pandemic

TEHRAN: Iran said Thursday it “only acts in self-defence” after President Donald Trump warned it against attacks on US troops in Iraq, as a new war of words heated up despite the coronavirus pandemic. Tensions between the arch-foes flared in Iraq where the United States deployed Patriot air defence missiles prompting neighbouring Iran to warn of consequences and demand a US withdrawal.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that “unlike the US — which surreptitiously lies, cheats & assassinates — Iran only acts in self-defence”. “Don´t be misled by usual warmongers, AGAIN,” he said, addressing US President Donald Trump. “Iran starts no wars but teaches lessons to those who do,” he added. Trump warned Iran on Wednesday that it would pay a “heavy price” in the event of further attacks on US troops. He tweeted that “upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq”. In response, Zarif tweeted that “Iran has FRIENDS: No one can have MILLIONS of ´proxies´”

Iran responded angrily to the US Patriot deployment warning that Washington risked leading the Middle East to disaster in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Its armed forces chief of staff said the recent attacks against US bases in Iraq are the “natural reaction” of Iraqi people towards Washington´s continuing military presence. The attacks “have nothing to do with our country. The Americans sometimes attribute such things to us, which is projecting the blame,” Iran´s ISNA news agency quoted Major General Mohammad Bagheri as saying. “Iran has no involvement in these actions and no intention to attack foreign forces,” he said, underlining that Iran would still respond strongly to any aggression.

- Battle for influence –

Iran and the US are in a tense battle for influence in Iraq, where Tehran has powerful allies and Washington has close ties to the government. Bases in Iraq housing US troops and foreign embassies, particularly the American mission, have been targeted in more than two dozen rocket attacks since October that Washington has blamed on Iran-backed armed groups. Tensions have risen sharply since Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions. They escalated in January when the US killed Iran´s Major General Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike near Baghdad airport. Iran retaliated by firing at bases in Iraq housing US troops. While on high alert for a response, Iranian air defences accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner minutes after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. Iran has repeatedly called on the Trump administration to reverse its sanctions policy, which has been opposed even by US allies, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “This was the best, historic opportunity for the Americans to reverse their wrong path and for once, tell their nation they are not against the Iranian people,” President Hassan Rouhani told a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.