The conflict in West Asia entered its seventh day on Friday, with the United States and Israel bombing the Iranian capital, Tehran, and other cities, as well as parts of Lebanon. Meanwhile, Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Gulf states, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
With the standoff now unfolding, former R&AW chief Vikram Sood on Friday said the war between the US, Israel and Iran may last longer than America expected, news agency ANI reported.
Sood also said that Iranians are “willing to die” in the war, but Americans are “not willing to die.”
“It is difficult to say how long it will take, but I think it will last longer than the Americans thought they were hoping to strike a short, sharp blow and get out,” ANI quoted the former R&AW chief as saying.
He added that the Iranians are playing a “different game.” He added: “They are expelling America’s allies, which is creating unrest among them against America.”
‘A very heroic and nationalistic battle for us’: Iran minister urges ‘maximum resistance’
In line with Sood’s statements, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh had earlier framed this conflict as a “very heroic and very nationalistic battle” for Iran. The minister urged the forces to “maximum resistance” in the face of the “aggressor.”
The Iranian news agency quoted Khatibzadeh as saying: “I think the priority now is for Iran to exercise maximum resistance against the aggressor. We are under attack, we are being invaded by the Americans and the Israelis, and they are trying to inflict the maximum amount of damage on Iran. As we speak, my fellow citizens are under constant attack through comprehensive bombing, which is what is happening by the Americans and the Israelis.”
The minister stated that Tehran is “under constant attack,” adding that Iran “has no choice but to resist until the last bullet… and the last soldier.” He added: “This is a very heroic and very nationalistic battle for us, and we must stop the aggressor and his atrocities in Iran. What is important is that everyone supports international law, and we hope that we will not choose international law.”
The Deputy Foreign Minister said that “principles of international law” and Iran were under attack, while urging everyone to “stand together against these atrocities.”
