During an interview with CNBC, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that the country was defending itself.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei reportedly defended the country’s attacks on U.S. military targets in the Middle East.

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During an interview with CNBC, Baghei said that the Iranian attacks were on “legitimate targets” under the United Nations Charter’s Article 51, stating that the country was defending itself.

“All military bases, installations and assets that in any form or manner are being used to help the aggressors are regarded as legitimate targets,” Baghaei said during the interview.

This comes amid a warning from President Donald Trump that the U.S. would hit Iran with a force that is 20 times harder than its attacks on the Middle Eastern country so far, if it tried anything to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” President Trump stated in a post on Truth Social on Monday.

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