Iran’s Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Sunday that Tehran would strike back if the United States or Israel attacked.

Nasirzadeh’s comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against Iran for the Tehran-backed Houthi group firing a missile that landed near Israel’s main airport.

“If this war is initiated by the U.S. or the Zionist regime (Israel), Iran will target their interests, bases and forces – wherever they may be and whenever deemed necessary,” Nasirzadeh told Iranian state TV.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis launched a missile on Sunday that landed near Ben Gurion Airport, the latest in a string of attacks, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

“Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters,” Netanyahu said on social media platform X.

Echoing Iran’s official stance, Nasirzadeh said Houthis act upon their own motivations.

Iran-aligned Houthis have been launching missiles and drones at Israel in support of Hamas fighters. The United States has been striking Houthi strongholds in Yemen since March 15, with President Donald Trump vowing to hold Iran responsible for any attacks carried out by the group.

Iran has “no hostility toward neighbouring countries”, but in case of an attack, the U.S. bases located in the region will be considered targets by Tehran, Nasirzadeh also said.

The minister’s statements followed Iran unveiling on Sunday a new solid-fuel ballistic missile called “Qassem Bassir,” which has a range of 1,200 km (750 miles), Iranian state media reported.

Amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia warned this weekend of a potential “nuclear” response if the Indian military decides to strike Islamabad. 

The Pakistani envoy added that this response may also take place in case India “disrupts” Pakistan’s water supply.

Speaking to Russian broadcaster RT, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, Pakistan’s ambassador to Moscow, claimed he had “credible intelligence” suggesting that an attack by India was imminent.

“There are some other leaked documents whereby it has been decided to strike certain areas of Pakistan,” Jamali said. “So that makes us feel that this is going to happen and it’s imminent.”

He added that if such a scenario does play out, Pakistan will retaliate by using “the full spectrum of power, both conventional and nuclear.”

Jamail’s warning comes a day after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that any structure built by India to divert water would be met with strikes.

“That will be aggression against Pakistan… even if they (India) made an architectural attempt of this kind, then Pakistan will destroy that structure,” said Asif.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam last month, which killed 26 tourists.

On Saturday, India took fresh steps to completely block out Pakistan amid the rising tension, banning the import of all goods originating in Pakistan, prohibiting Pakistan-flagged vessels calling at Indian ports, and stopping the exchange of mail and parcels by land and air routes.

India’s government cited national security and national interest as reasons for the measures, which came against the backdrop of India also undercutting Pakistan at international fora as part of the efforts to build a global consensus against Islamabad, the Hindustan Times reported.

The latest move follows on previous orders issued by India against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the closure of its airspace to Pakistani aircraft, the expulsion of most Pakistani nationals, and the closure of the only operational land border crossing at Attari. 

It has also asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to review loans to the neighbouring country, Hindustan Times reported. 

Pakistan meanwhile has unveiled several counter-measures such as closing its airspace to Indian airliners and suspending all trade, as it offered to participate in an independent investigation of the attack — a proposition that New Delhi sees as meaningless.

Last month, a group of heavily armed militants emerged from the woods and targeted tourists on the Baisaran grassland near Pahalgam. Twenty-six people were killed in the attack.

India said it has banned the import of goods originating from or transiting via Pakistan as diplomatic tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations flared in the wake of a deadly attack on tourists in disputed Kashmir region.

India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade in a notification said the ban will take effect immediately, Reuters reported.

“This restriction is imposed in the interest of national security and public policy,” it said.

Suspected militants killed at least 26 tourists in last week’s attack on a mountain destination in the Pahalgam area of the Kashmir valley.

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region is claimed by both India and Pakistan, and has been the site of multiple wars, insurgency and diplomatic standoffs.

India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, which Islamabad denies. Pakistan said it has “credible intelligence” that India intends to launch military action.

Pakistan also announced retaliatory measures that have included halting all border trade, closing its airspace to Indian carriers and expelling Indian diplomats.

It has also warned that any attempt to prevent the flow of river water promised under a decades-old treaty between the two nations would be considered an act of war.

Trade between the two nations has dwindled over the last few years.