US Warns: Escalation of Conflict Could Hurt Iran's Economy

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, in response to a question from a VOA Persian reporter at a press conference on Thursday, August 9, stated that the escalation of conflict "could harm Iran's economy." The question was based on a report from the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, which indicated that the US has warned the Islamic Republic that if it conducts a major attack against Israel, the "new government" and "economy" of Iran would be adversely affected. If the report is accurate, it raises questions as to why the message was directed to Masoud Pezeshkian, the President, since the Biden administration claims to be aware that Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, makes the final decisions. According to The Wall Street Journal, this message was sent to the Islamic Republic both directly and through intermediaries. The US State Department spokesperson asserted that the US believes that the emergence of conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic would exacerbate all regional problems, including "economic" consequences. However, the spokesperson did not necessarily confirm the accuracy of The Wall Street Journal's report, stating, "In many cases, it is seen that the message (in the report) is not accurately described." The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, August 9, citing an unnamed US official, that the United States has warned Iran that if it participates in a major attack against Israel, it will "suffer a significant blow." The official stated that the US has sent a clear message to Iran that the risk of escalation in the event of a large-scale retaliatory attack against Israel is very high. He added that the Islamic Republic's action in carrying out a large-scale attack would pose "serious consequences for the economy and stability of the new government" in Iran. Earlier, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday, August 8, that about 12 F-18 fighter jets had taken off from the aircraft carrier "Theodore Roosevelt" and landed at a military base in the Middle East. The Islamic Republic and its proxy groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, accuse Israel of killing Ismail Haniyeh, one of several senior Hamas officials killed since the onset of the war in Gaza. Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the US, Israel, the European Union, the UK, Canada, Japan, and several other countries, is supported by the Islamic Republic. This accusation against Israel comes at a time when officials in that country have not yet claimed responsibility for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh.