Iran Says US Warned It Not To Target US Facilities

An Iranian official said on Friday that Washington had warned Tehran not to attack US facilities after Iran had told it not to fall into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "trap."

"In a written message, the Islamic Republic of Iran warns US leadership not to get dragged in Netanyahu's trap for US: Stay away so you won't get hurt. In response US asked Iran not to target American facilities," Iranian presidential aide Mohammad Jamshidi said on X on Friday.

Tensions are high following the Israeli airstrike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, which killed seven Revolutionary Guards, including a high-ranking general, earlier this week.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – along with several Iranian officials and generals -- has vowed to "punish" Israel for the attack.

Concerns regarding a potential Iranian attack on Israel reached their peak on Friday, the last Friday of Ramadan, which Tehran has designated as Quds Day in solidarity with Palestinians.

Khamenei's political advisor Ali Shamkhani, in a post on X, said the United States "remains directly responsible whether or not it was aware of the intention to carry out this attack". According to Axios, the US has told Iran that it "had no involvement" or advanced knowledge of the strike on the diplomatic compound.

Numerous commentators in Tehran have urged a measured reaction to Israel's Monday attack, cautioning that the strike could be a ploy to draw Iran into direct conflict.