TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s Army Chief, Amir Hatami, issued a stern warning to the United States and Israel against launching any attack, confirming on Saturday that his country’s forces are on their highest level of alert. The warning comes amid a significant buildup of US military forces in the Gulf region.
Hatami also emphasized that the Islamic Republic’s nuclear expertise cannot be eliminated, responding to recent remarks by US President Donald Trump who predicted Tehran would seek a deal to avoid American military action.
“If the enemy makes a mistake, there is no doubt that it will jeopardize its own security, as well as the security of the region and the Zionist entity,” Hatami stated, as reported by the official Iranian news agency IRNA. He added that Iran’s armed forces are at their “highest level of defensive and military readiness.”
Washington recently dispatched a naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East. President Trump had previously threatened military intervention following a violent crackdown by Iranian authorities on two weeks of protests, which began over deteriorating living conditions and evolved to include anti-government political slogans.
The deployment has heightened fears of a direct confrontation. Iran has warned it would respond to any attack with missile strikes on US bases, ships, and allies, particularly Israel.
On Friday, Trump said he expects Iran to negotiate an agreement on its nuclear and missile programs rather than face US military action. In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran is ready to resume nuclear negotiations if they are “fair, just, and on an equal footing,” but stressed that “Iran’s missile and defense capabilities will not be subject to negotiation.”
“Cannot Be Eliminated”
The United States conducted strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites last June, briefly joining a 12-day war between Israel and the Islamic Republic. Israel has also carried out attacks on military sites across the country and assassinations targeting senior officers and prominent nuclear scientists.
However, Hatami insisted on Saturday that Iran’s nuclear technology “cannot be eliminated, even if scientists and sons of this nation are martyred.”
The US military reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will conduct a “two-day live-fire naval exercise” in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for global energy supplies. In a statement, the US Central Command warned the IRGC against “any unsafe or unprofessional behavior near US forces.”
The United States designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization in 2019, a decision the European Union followed on Thursday by adding the IRGC to its list of “terrorist organizations,” provoking an angry response from Tehran, which vowed to retaliate.
Iran warns the US and Israel against any military aggression, with its Army Chief confirming that the nation’s armed forces are in a state of maximum readiness. This declaration follows the deployment of a US naval strike group to the region, significantly increasing tensions and fears of a potential direct conflict.
The strong statements from Tehran serve as a direct response to what it perceives as threats from Washington and its allies. As Iran warns the US, it simultaneously asserts the resilience of its nuclear program, stating that its scientific knowledge cannot be destroyed despite previous attacks and assassinations targeting its scientists. This defiant stance highlights the complex geopolitical dynamics currently at play in the Middle East.
According to multiple media sources.
