Won’t start war, but will respond to bullies: Iran PM

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TEHRAN: Iran will not start a war but would “respond strongly” to anyone who tried to bully it, President Ebrahim Raisi said on Friday, a day after the US said it was planning attacks on Iranian sites in Iraq and Syria.

There has been mounting speculation this week about how Washington might retaliate after three US soldiers were killed last Saturday in a strike on their base in Jordan by an Iranian-backed group. The United States had approved plans for multi-day strikes in Iraq and Syria against multiple targets, including Iranian personnel and facilities in those countries.