Iran army chief issues stark warning to US, Israel against attack, says country at 'full military readiness'

Iran’s army chief, Amir Hatami, on Saturday issued a stark warning to the United States and Israel, saying his country’s armed forces are on high alert following Washington’s significant military deployments in the Gulf, news agency AFP reported.

“If the enemy makes a mistake, without a doubt it will endanger its own security, the security of the region, and the security of the Zionist regime,” Hatami warned, according to the official IRNA news agency. He added that Iran’s forces were “at full defensive and military readiness.”


Hatami also insisted that Iran’s nuclear programme could not be destroyed, even by force. “The nuclear science and technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot be eliminated, even if scientists and sons of this nation are martyred,” he said.

According to AFP, the warnings come after the US sent a naval strike group to the Middle East, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, amid President Donald Trump’s threats of possible military action following a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran. Trump has, however, suggested that Tehran may seek a deal to avoid conflict over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Earlier, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had indicated that Tehran is open to nuclear talks but stressed that its missile and defence capabilities “will never be negotiated.”

Tensions have escalated against the backdrop of nationwide protests that began in Iran on December 28 over the soaring costs of living and developed into broader anti-government demonstrations. According to official figures cited by AFP, at least 3,117 people have been killed, while the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has verified a total 6,563 deaths, including more than 6,000 protesters and 124 children.”

Iran has accused the US and Israel of instigating the unrest, describing it as a “terrorist operation.”

Amid the unrest, President Masoud Pezeshkian called on authorities to address public grievances, saying, “We must work with the people and for the people and serve the people as much as possible… under such conditions, no power can cripple a government, a society, or a nation that acts justly, fairly, and on the basis of rights.”

On Saturday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei visited the shrine of Ruhollah Khomeini in southern Tehran, offering prayers during the 10-day celebrations marking the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has also warned Iran against “any unsafe and unprofessional behaviour near US forces” as tensions continue to rise in the region.