Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, warned on Sunday of a "conspiracy" by "members of [sex convict Jeffrey] Epstein’s network" to "create an incident similar to 9/11".

He posted on X, “I’ve heard that the remaining members of Epstein’s network have devised a conspiracy to create an incident similar to 9/11 and blame Iran for it.”

Iran's top security official also said that Iran fundamentally opposes "such terrorist schemes and has no war with the American people."

In a series of posts, Ali Larijani further shared, “We are defending our county against an aggression launched by the US and Israel. Iran stands tall in doing so in order to teach the aggressors a lesson.”

Ali Larijani's statement came as the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran continues. The US and Israel launched joint airstrikes in Iran on February 28 after nuclear talks failed.

According to Reuters, at least 2,000 people have been killed across the Middle East since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, with Gulf states hosting US military bases and personnel, as well as Lebanon, quickly drawn into the conflict.

The conflict has led to rise in oil prices and also hampered the passage of crude, LPG and LNG from the Middle East. Attacks targeting commercial vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz have put the blockaded waterway on the front line of the Middle East war, with spreading economic repercussions.

At least 10 oil tankers have been hit, targeted or reported attacks since the start of the conflict, news agency AFP reported while citing data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Iraqi authorities, and Iranian authorities.

AFP or Mint could not independently verify these claims.

About 9/11 attack On September 11, 2001, the Twin Towers at the World Trade Centre (WTC) in the United States were destroyed in a terrorist attack that has come to be referred to as “9/11.”

The terrorist attack was carried out by al-Qaeda, an Islamist extremist group. As many as 19 Al Qaeda terrorists had hijacked four commercial passenger planes in the United States.

Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, with the second strike 17 minutes after the first, causing both towers to collapse.

A third plane was crashed into the Pentagon, just outside Washington, DC, according to the Imperial War Museums.

The fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania after the crew and passengers attacked the terrorists on board, preventing it from hitting another target thought to be the White House.