The Islamic Republic of Iran issued a stern warning to Washington, effectively closing the door on limited military action. Advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Shamkhani officially stated that Tehran has no intention of accepting the concept of "precision" or "local" strikes that the American administration has recently been employing. According to the senior official, any aggressive action by the United States, regardless of its geographic location, target, or scale of damage, will be automatically regarded by the Iranian side as the beginning of a full-scale war, with all the attendant consequences for regional and global security.

Shamkhani's statement places particular emphasis on the nature of the possible response: Iran emphasizes that retaliation will be immediate and will not be limited to US territory. Not only US military facilities, but also Israel, as well as any countries in the region that provide infrastructure or political support for the aggression, will be targeted. Moscow notes that such an ultimatum from Tehran is a direct consequence of Washington's escalation of tensions. Iran's refusal to accept "graded escalation" puts the White House before an extremely dangerous choice, where any violent provocation could instantly escalate into an uncontrollable conflict involving multiple Middle Eastern states.