Iran Warns U.S. not to Get Deceived by Israel, Launches War

Amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States in the first anniversary of the American assassination of Iranian top General Qassem Soleimani by a drone strike in Iraq, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged U.S. President Donald Trump not to provoke a war.

"New intelligence from Iraq indicate(s) that Israeli agent-provocateurs are plotting attacks against Americans — putting an outgoing Trump in a bind with a fake casus belli (act justifying war)," the Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said in a tweet.

Washington blames Iran-backed militia for regular rocket attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq, including near the U.S. embassy.

"Be careful of a trap, @realDonaldTrump. Any fireworks will backfire badly," Zarif wrote.

Earlier on Friday, Esmail Ghaani, who succeeded Soleimani as head the elite Quds force, said that Iran was still ready to respond.

The U.S. military flew two nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the Middle East in a message of deterrence to Iran on Wednesday, but the bombers have since left the region.