Adviser to the Supreme Leader of Iran: If the United States forces continue to operate, Iran may move to full offensive phase

On 18 July, the adviser to the Iranian Supreme Leader, Rezai, stated that if the United States continued to attack for the next two or three days, Iran would end its previous deterrence and reciprocal counter-attack tactics and move to the “full offensive and destruction” phase, with the possibility of direct attacks on military bases and personnel outside the United States. He claimed that Iran's restraint had previously been intended to avoid spillovers of regional conflict, but that the United States' “judgment” might have contributed to the escalation of the situation. Rezai also called on countries and governments in the regions of Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others to stop the expansion of the United States and Israel, and called the US strategy of “war in parallel with negotiations” a failure, and Iran will intensify its response in the coming days。