A senior Iranian military commander said on Saturday that the country’s armed forces are prepared to deliver a “regret-inducing” response to any hostile action by its adversaries, as tensions remain elevated between Tehran and Washington.
Speaking at a national congress in Iran’s northwestern West Azarbaijan province, Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ahmad Vahidi said Iran’s military readiness has increased following what he described as the 12-day conflict involving Israel and the United States in June. His remarks were reported by Iran’s official news agency IRNA.
“Today, we are more prepared than during the 12-day war,” Vahidi said. “We are ready to respond to any adventurism by the enemies in a regret-inducing manner.”
Vahidi also referred to recent unrest inside Iran, claiming foreign powers had sought to exploit domestic discontent after what he characterized as their military setback. “The enemies, who had received a hard slap from Iran during the 12-day war, tried to compensate for their defeat by inciting sedition,” he said. “But they faced another heavy defeat thanks to the unity and solidarity of the Iranian people.”
His comments came amid heightened rhetoric from the United States. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said a “massive” American naval force was moving toward the region, though he stressed it might not be used. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said the deployment was precautionary.
“We have a lot of ships going that direction just in case. We have a big flotilla going that direction, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.
At the same time, the U.S. president reiterated that he preferred to avoid military confrontation. “I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” he added.
Tensions between Tehran and Washington have also been fueled by internal unrest in Iran. Protests erupted in late December in several Iranian cities following a sharp depreciation of the national currency, the rial. While initially peaceful, the demonstrations later turned violent in some areas, resulting in casualties and damage to public property, including mosques, government buildings, and banks.
Iranian authorities have blamed the violence on foreign interference, accusing the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest to destabilize the country, allegations both governments have repeatedly denied.
