TEHRAN, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has rejected a claim by the U.S. State Department that Tehran is planning attacks on U.S. targets in West Asia.
He made the remarks in an interview with the official news agency IRNA, which was published on Saturday evening, describing such allegations as "being in line with the U.S. ongoing policy of causing tension in the region."
Baghaei also stressed the Iranian armed forces' determination to maintain and improve their military capabilities to defend the country, saying that Iran would obviously react strongly to any "aggressive" move.
In a Persian-language post on Saturday on social media platform X, the U.S. State Department claimed it had received reports suggesting that Iran was preparing options to target American bases.
It said that "all options remain on the table" and any attack on U.S. assets would be met with "very, very strong force."
Over recent days, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened potential military action against Iran under the pretext of supporting protesters. Iran, in turn, has consistently warned the U.S. against interfering in its internal affairs and inciting "riots and terrorism" within the country.
Protests erupted since late December in several Iranian cities over the sharp depreciation of the rial. Authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and said they are prepared to address economic grievances, while warning against violence, vandalism, and unrest.
Initially held peacefully, the protests gradually became violent, leading to casualties and damage to public property, mosques, government buildings and banks, especially on Jan. 8 and 9, for which Iranian authorities have blamed the United States and Israel. ■
