Iran lawmaker says US carrier proximity not necessarily sign of war

A member of the Iranian parliament's national security commission said the approach of US aircraft carriers toward Iran does not automatically indicate an imminent conflict.

Salar Velayatmadar said that whenever an American carrier moved to within roughly 700 to 800 kilometers of Iran, officials would even grant leave to forces because they did not expect war.

“When the US carrier gets that close, it is effectively like an easy target within our range, and no rational actor would take such a risk,” he said.

Velayatmadar added that the situation should be viewed as more serious when US naval forces increase their distance from Iran.