If the United States targets Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran would strike back at American cities, Mojtaba Ranjbar, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts said Wednesday.
“If America makes a mistake, what happened to Tel Aviv and Haifa will happen to Washington and New York,” he said.
The warning came after President Donald Trump suggested he might target Khamenei.
Several missiles were launched from Iran toward Israeli territory Wednesday evening, The Israeli military said.
Around the same time, Iranian media, including the IRGC-linked Fars News Agency, reported the beginning of a missile attack by the Islamic Republic on Israel.
Air raid sirens were activated in Tel Aviv shortly after.
The USS Ford Carrier Strike Group is set to deploy to Europe next week and is expected to move into the eastern Mediterranean near Israel, CNN reported Wednesday, citing US officials.
It would become the third US carrier positioned close to the Israel-Iran conflict.
While the Ford’s deployment was planned in advance, its movement reflects heightened military posture.
Another carrier is also en route to the region, possibly to join or relieve the USS Carl Vinson.
US carriers can launch airstrikes, intercept missiles, and operate as forward platforms for power projection in crises.
Two Meraj Airlines jets believed to be linked to the Iranian government landed in Muscat on Wednesday, according to flight tracking data from Flightradar.
The unannounced arrivals have sparked speculation that Tehran may be seeking Omani mediation amid ongoing Israeli strikes. Iranian and Omani officials have not commented on the reports.
