Iran’s army chief of staff: If a new war against Iran starts, “its fire will engulf everyone”

The chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces warned that any new war against the country would draw in other nations and spiral out of control.

Major General Ali Abdollahi, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, said: “If America starts a war, it will not be a war between the United States and Iran, it will become a war between the United States and a large part of the world. Its fire will engulf everyone.”

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday, he added that war is unlikely, but if it happens, “it will not be a war in which the Americans can say what will happen” and that Tehran’s response would be “unexpected”.

He said: “We are prepared for any scenario, and there is no scenario that we have not planned for.” He described as “delusional” the statement by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, that Iran’s nuclear programme had entered a military phase.