Dubai, January 2

A top Iranian commander today said Iran was not moving towards war but was not afraid of any conflict, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported after US President Donald Trump said Tehran was behind anti-US protests in Iraq.

Trump accused Iran of orchestrating demonstrations at the US embassy in Iraq on Tuesday and said Tehran would be held responsible. Iran has rejected the accusation. “We are not leading the country to war, but we are not afraid of any war and we tell America to speak correctly with the Iranian nation. We have the power to break them several times over and are not worried,” Revolutionary Guards Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami was quoted by Tasnim as saying.

Trump tweeted on Tuesday, “Iran would be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat.”

He later said he did not want or foresee a war with Iran. Iran’s Army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said his forces were ready to confront the “enemy.”

“Our armed forces monitor all moves, and if anyone makes the slightest mistake, they will decisively react, and if the situation heats up, we will show our abilities to the enemy,” Mousavi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday condemned US attacks on Iranian-allied militias in Iraq, blaming the United States for violence in Iran’s neighbour. Iran protested on Wednesday to a Swiss envoy, who represents US interests in Tehran, over what it called “warmongering statements” by American officials. — Reuters

Quake hits Tehran

Tehran: An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale today hit Iran’s Khorasan Razavi province, according to the Iranian Seismological Centre. The epicentre of the quake was at the depth of 8 km, 34.030 north latitude and 60.325 east longitude, 300 km to the south of Iran’s sacred Mash’had city, according to a report released by Xinhua news agency. There were no immediate reports on casualties or damages. — IANS

US embassy in Iraq suspends operations

Baghdad: The US embassy in Baghdad announced the suspension of all public consular operations until further notice following an attack by pro-Iranian protesters on the mission. An embassy’s statement mentioned the move was due to attacks at its compound. IANS