Iran has told the US via intermediaries that if it strikes Iranian soil directly, Tehran will itself hit back at American assets in the Middle East, drawing the two sides into a direct conflict.

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The warning comes as Iran waits on high alert to see how Joe Biden responds to the death of three US servicemen deemed by Washington to have been killed by a Tehran-backed militia based in Syria.

He said the White House knew well that “a political solution” was required to end the carnage in the besieged Gaza Strip and the current crisis in the Middle East.

With a US attack on Iranian positions inside Syria seen as the most likely option, Iran’s deputy interior minister, Seyyed Majid Mirahmadi, in a meeting with his Syrian counterparts discussed the crisis and insisted the so-called “axis of resistance” was on the verge of victory.

But Iran itself faces its own challenges: unrest has broken out across Kurdistan after the execution on Monday of four Kurds accused by the regime of co-operating with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agencies.

Although support for Palestinians is widespread through Iranian society, the regime is worried that the state of the economy and general political disaffection could drive down turnout at parliamentary elections in March, undercutting its claim to legitimacy.

In an attempt to boost participation in the vote, the number of ballot boxes has doubled, and candidates are being given additional time on TV and radio to try to generate an atmosphere of excitement.

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