Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 1, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 1, 2026
In direct threat, Khamenei warns of regional war if US attacks Iran
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Iranians walk past a billboard showing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with anti-US rhetoric in Tehran on January 27, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that if the US attacks Iran, it will become a regional conflict, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reports.
“The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Khamenei is quoted as saying.
The comments from the 86-year-old Khamenei are the most direct threat he’s made so far.
Tehran has warned that if US President Donald Trump orders strikes on Iran, it will target Israel and American military assets in the Middle East.
Trump said yesterday that Iran is “seriously talking” with Washington.
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