IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir recently held intensive talks in the United States with senior American officials during a working visit, with the possibility of a U.S. strike on Iran among the issues discussed, according to officials familiar with the meetings.
The visit came as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a fresh warning to Washington, saying any attack would trigger a wider conflict. “Americans should know that if they start a war against us, this time it will be a regional war,” Khamenei said. He added that Iran was not seeking war or looking to attack any country, but would strike forcefully at anyone who did.
Khamenei also addressed the U.S. military buildup in the region, saying repeated threats involving aircraft and warships were nothing new. He noted that past U.S. statements that “all options are on the table,” including war, had failed to intimidate Iran, adding that the Iranian public would not be deterred by such warnings.
Earlier Sunday, members of Iran’s parliament appeared at a session wearing Revolutionary Guard uniforms, a move framed as a protest against a recent European Union decision to designate the force as a terrorist organization. Lawmakers chanted slogans against Europe, the United States and Israel, and Iranian officials announced that, in response, they would classify European armies as terrorist organizations.
The developments unfolded amid mixed signals over diplomacy between Washington and Tehran. U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran was engaged in talks, after senior Iranian official Ali Larijani said there had been progress toward a framework for negotiations between the two sides.
Trump has not indicated confidence that the talks will lead to an agreement and has continued to leave open the possibility of military action, underscoring the threat with a significant buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East.