Iran gears up amid heightened tensions

In a tit-for-tat move, Iran has labeled the naval and air forces of European Union member states as terrorist organizations, while vowing to safeguard national unity amid spiraling tensions.

The escalation came as the United States ramped up its military presence in the Middle East and repeatedly threatened strikes against Iran.

In a statement, Iran's Foreign Ministry said Tehran took reciprocal measures in response to the "illegal and unjustified" decision by EU states to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a "terrorist organization".

The European Council formalized the designation on Thursday following an agreement previously reached by EU foreign ministers, a move that triggered restrictive measures under the EU's counterterrorism sanctions policy, including the freezing of the IRGC's funds and financial assets within the bloc.

On Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed his country's commitment to national resilience, saying Iran will not yield to external pressure as it navigates nuclear negotiations with the US.

"We will never yield to any difficulties confronting us," he said in remarks broadcast live on state TV, urging Iranians to "set aside differences" and remain united.

His remarks followed a recent US military buildup in the region and two rounds of indirect nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. Iran has insisted that the negotiations be limited to the nuclear issue, while the US has pushed to include Iran's ballistic missile program and its alleged support for armed groups in the region on the agenda.

The US and its European allies allege that Iran is moving toward developing a nuclear weapon, an accusation Tehran has always denied.

Nevertheless, the outcome of diplomatic efforts remains uncertain despite Iran saying on Friday that it hoped for a quick deal with the US.

The US administration said on Thursday that "bad things" would happen if Iran did not strike a deal within 10 days, which was subsequently extended to 15.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has warned that any military campaign against Iran would lead to a "regional war".

Fears of a looming conflict have led several countries to urge their citizens to leave Iran, including Sweden, Serbia, Poland and Australia, which noted that "commercial flights are currently available but could be suspended at short notice".

Meanwhile, hundreds of US troops were evacuated from military bases in Qatar and Bahrain, The New York Times reported on Friday, citing Pentagon officials.

Remarks condemned

Against tense regional developments, Arab countries strongly condemned remarks by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who said on Friday that Israel had a "biblical right" to claim control over the entire Middle East, or at least most of the region.

The backlash widened sharply on Sunday as more than a dozen Arab and Islamic governments — alongside major regional organizations — issued a joint statement denouncing the US diplomat's comments as "dangerous and inflammatory".

The statement, released by the United Arab Emirates' Foreign Ministry, was signed by the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and the State of Palestine, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Iran joined the chorus with its Foreign Ministry accusing Huckabee of revealing "American active complicity" in Israel's "expansionist wars of aggression" against Palestinians.

Earlier, several Arab states had issued unilateral condemnations.

Saudi Arabia described Huckabee's words as "reckless" and "irresponsible", while Jordan said they were "an assault on the sovereignty of the countries of the region".

cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn