Former US Ambassador: Iran trying to provoke US so that it can retaliate

Iran is trying to escalate the regional conflict by attempting to provoke the United States and others into attacking it so that it can retaliate, says former US Ambassador to Bahrain Adam Ereli.

“The fact of the matter is, you know, the United States has had ample opportunities to take military action against Iran and ample provocations whether it be from the downing of a US drone or for attacking Saudi Arabia or frankly from firing Katyusha rockets by Shia militias against the Green Zone a few days ago,” Ereli, who was also a former deputy State Department spokesperson, told Al Arabiya from Washington.

“And in every one of those cases the United States has held its fire has refused to rise to the provocation from Iran. Because it knows that Iran would use any conflict to its political advantage by rallying international support on its behalf,” he added.

Iran’s ambassador to Iraq said on Friday that his country will not hesitate to attack US forces in Iraq and “anywhere else,” in the case of an American attack on his country.

“If the US attacked Iran, we will respond strongly and bombard the American presence in Iraq or anywhere else,” Ambassador Iraj Mesjedi said in an interview with Iraq-based Dihlah television, according to Baghdad Today news.