Witkoff warns of Iranian retaliation to Israeli attack: Axios
3 Min Read
White House envoy Steve Witkoff warns top US senators that a potential Israeli strike on Iran could trigger devastating retaliation, as talks resume in Muscat.
-
US President Donald Trump, right, listens as White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, left, speaks during a swearing-in ceremony in the White House, Washington, United States, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP)
Last week, White House envoy Steve Witkoff privately cautioned top Senate Republicans, conveying a warning that if "Israel" were to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, Iran could potentially retaliate and inflict heavy damage on "Israel", Axios reported on Thursday, citing a US official.
This development comes as Witkoff prepares to hold a sixth round of negotiations with Iran on Sunday in Muscat. Witkoff warned that "Israel" is prepared to strike Iran imminently if diplomacy fails this weekend, while cautioning that Iran's retaliation could overwhelm Israeli defenses and cause catastrophic damage, according to Axios's sources.
Last Thursday, Witkoff held a closed-door briefing on Iran with a group of Republican senators that included Senators Risch, Graham, Barasso, and Ricketts, Axios reported, citing an informed source.
During the briefing, Witkoff told the senators that "Israel" launching an attack on Iran is an option should the negotiations fail, noting US concerns that Israeli air defenses would not be able to handle an Iranian response involving hundreds of missiles, according to Axios' sources.
Witkoff cautioned the senators that such an Iranian retaliatory strike could result in devastating casualties and widespread destruction, Axios reported.
Trump pressures Iran using 'Israel', Iran refuses to make concessions
On Thursday, Trump told reporters that while he didn't want to characterize an Israeli strike as "imminent," he acknowledged "it might very well happen," emphasizing his desire to avoid conflict but noting this would require concessions that Iran has so far refused to make.
Also, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected Trump's demand to halt uranium enrichment, vowing that any attempt to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities would be met with decisive retaliation. Pezeshkian asserted that Tehran possesses both the strategic planning and technical capability to rapidly reconstruct any damaged nuclear infrastructure, according to his remarks.
Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami declared Iran's readiness for war, revealing that specific retaliatory targets have already been selected and warning that any Israeli attack would trigger a response far more devastating than last year's two major missile barrages against "Israel".
A US official revealed that US intelligence assessments indicate Iran possesses approximately 2,000 ballistic missiles capable of delivering warheads with 2,000 pounds or more of explosives, many of which have the range to strike Israeli territory.
