Iran Issues Stark Threat: "U.S. Attack Imminent; Countries That Cooperate Will Be Reduced to Ashes"... Middle East Tensions Reach Boiling Point

[Financial News] The Iranian regime warned on the 20th (local time) that it would launch high-intensity retaliatory strikes not only against U.S. military assets but also against regional countries aligned with the United States, saying it had obtained intelligence that the Donald Trump administration was preparing new military action against Iran.
According to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency and other outlets, Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Joint Operations Command said in a statement that day, "According to the intelligence we have obtained, the United States has decided to resume action against Iran with the approval of some regional countries in order to conceal its failures."
The command warned, "This decision was made at a joint meeting held in a European country. If the United States makes any mistake against Iran, all U.S. positions and assets in the region will become targets of continuous and painful attacks, without any restrictions or consideration."
Iran's reference to a "European joint meeting" is understood to be the multinational military chiefs' meeting recently held in Germany under the leadership of United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Axios previously reported that Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, met in Germany on the 15th with military chiefs from eight Middle Eastern countries, including Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to discuss the regional security situation.
Targeting these neighboring countries, the Iranian military added, "If you maintain a duplicitous policy and side with U.S. aggression, we will regard all of you as accomplices. In that case, you can no longer expect any restraint or leniency from the Iranian military."
Meanwhile, unusual moves by the United States have also been detected, pushing concerns about an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East to an extreme level.
President Trump shortened his weekend stay at Camp David by one day and abruptly returned to the White House on the 19th. The White House did not disclose the reason for the schedule change. On the 20th, the State Department issued an urgent alert through U.S. embassies in nine Middle Eastern countries, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Lebanon, warning that "an unpredictable escalation is possible" and urging U.S. citizens in the region to prepare for flight cancellations and possible airspace closures.
As concerns grow over a full-scale confrontation between the United States and Iran, the region's proxy conflict is also intensifying. On the 19th, Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi rebels launched airstrikes targeting Riyadh, the Saudi capital, while Iran threatened to continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a major chokepoint for global oil supplies, until its demands are met.
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