DOHA, March 16. /TASS/. Iran has never declared war on the countries of the Middle East, even though their territories are currently used to attack Iran, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated.

"We have never declared war on the countries of the region, despite their territory being used to attack Iran," the Iranian diplomat added.

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February·28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian leaders were killed in the joint US-Israeli attack.

The Assembly of Experts of the Islamic Republic of Iran later announced the election of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the assassinated ayatollah, as the country’s new Supreme Leader.