What is the story about?
As US President Donald Trump weighs his options, Iran on Monday warned that there is no such thing as a limited strike and any attack would mean an act of war.
Iranian foreign ministry told AFP that "there is no limited strike" and any attack would be an act of war that would meet an appropriate response.
The warning has come amid reports that Trump is considering targeted strikes against the Iranian regime to force it into giving up its nuclear programme and accepting American terms. The failure to accept terms despite targeted strikes, as per reports, would lead to a full-scale American offensive.
"With respect to your first question concerning the limited strike, I think there is no limited strike. An act of aggression would be regarded as an act of aggression. Period. And any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right of self-defence ferociously so that's what we would do," said Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei.
While the administration has not provided exact figures, analysts have said that Trump has deployed up to 40-50 per cent of entire US air power to West Asia along with dozens of warships, hundreds of warplanes, two aircraft carriers, and tens of thousands of soldiers.
Such a deployment has not been seen in the region since the Gulf War of 1991 or the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Analysts have said that any American operation would not be like singular strikes that Trump ordered last year on Iranian nuclear facilities. Instead, they have said that the
posturing suggests that Trump would mount a weekslong offensive that could very well be aimed to decapitate the Iranian regime.
Amid such warnings, the Trump administration and Iranian officials will hold talks in Oman on Thursday in an apparent last-ditch effort to avert a war.
Lately, there have been reports that Iran has been fortifying its nuclear sites and acquiring missiles to prepare for any American offensive even as it engages in talks to arrive at a diplomatic solution to the crisis. As per reports, while Iran is willing to make concessions on the nuclear programme, it is not willing to give up the ballistic missile programme that Israel has demanded in any US-Iran deal.
Iranian foreign ministry told AFP that "there is no limited strike" and any attack would be an act of war that would meet an appropriate response.
The warning has come amid reports that Trump is considering targeted strikes against the Iranian regime to force it into giving up its nuclear programme and accepting American terms. The failure to accept terms despite targeted strikes, as per reports, would lead to a full-scale American offensive.
"With respect to your first question concerning the limited strike, I think there is no limited strike. An act of aggression would be regarded as an act of aggression. Period. And any state would react to an act of aggression as part of its inherent right of self-defence ferociously so that's what we would do," said Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei.
While the administration has not provided exact figures, analysts have said that Trump has deployed up to 40-50 per cent of entire US air power to West Asia along with dozens of warships, hundreds of warplanes, two aircraft carriers, and tens of thousands of soldiers.
Such a deployment has not been seen in the region since the Gulf War of 1991 or the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
This represents 40-50% of the deployable US air power in the world. Think air power on the order of the 1991 and 2003 Iraq war. And growing. Never has the US deployed this much force against a potential enemy and not launched strikes. pic.twitter.com/NLPIOEyeUs
— Robert A. Pape (@ProfessorPape) February 21, 2026
Analysts have said that any American operation would not be like singular strikes that Trump ordered last year on Iranian nuclear facilities. Instead, they have said that the
Amid such warnings, the Trump administration and Iranian officials will hold talks in Oman on Thursday in an apparent last-ditch effort to avert a war.
Lately, there have been reports that Iran has been fortifying its nuclear sites and acquiring missiles to prepare for any American offensive even as it engages in talks to arrive at a diplomatic solution to the crisis. As per reports, while Iran is willing to make concessions on the nuclear programme, it is not willing to give up the ballistic missile programme that Israel has demanded in any US-Iran deal.
