Iranian Vice President Áref declared the country’s readiness for a state of war and emphasized the need for guarantees in negotiations with the US. The UN is calling for urgent dialogue to avert a devastating crisis.
Iran must be ready for war, the first vice president of Iran, Mohammad Reza Áref, declared on Thursday. At the same time, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is calling on Iran and the US to engage in dialogue to avoid “devastating consequences”. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the AFP and Reuters agencies.
“Today we must be prepared for a state of war. Our strategy is that we will never start a war, but if it is forced upon us, we will defend ourselves,” Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Arefa as saying. The vice president added that Iran is ready to negotiate with the United States, but “this time it wants guarantees.”
Calls for diplomatic dialogue
UN chief Guterres called for a diplomatic solution to the tensions between Iran and the United States. “We believe it is important for there to be a dialogue that will allow an agreement to be reached, especially on the nuclear issue, and to avoid a crisis that could have devastating consequences in the region,” he said.
Iran’s state-run Press TV reported on Thursday that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will hold live-fire military drills in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and Monday.
A strategically important region
The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most important route for the export of oil from its largest producers in the Persian Gulf, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.
