Iran declares readiness for long-term defense

Tehran intends to use all available resources to protect its territories and population, without limiting itself to any timeframe, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in an interview with CNN, Report informs.

Responding to a question about how long the country could withstand strikes that, according to US President Donald Trump, could last more than a month, the diplomat emphasized the republic's resolve.

He said that Iran would defend itself to the best of its ability and that time was not a decisive factor, adding that the country would do everything necessary to protect its sovereignty and its people under any circumstances.

Previously, Trump had stated that he did not rule out the possibility of deploying US ground forces to Iran, and Bloomberg wrote that Washington"s Middle Eastern allies were trying to persuade the US president to shorten the operation against Iran.