Iran: In reaction to mounting international pressure senior army commander issues a warning about possible preemptive military action
Iran: Iranian army chief Major General Amir Hatami responded to what Tehran perceives as aggressive language from outside, including statements made by US President Donald Trump that the US is “locked and loaded” to step in if Iranian troops forcefully crush civilian demonstrators.
According to Fox News, Hatami made his comments in an address to military school students, indicating that Iran views such remarks as a direct threat to its national security.
The “intensification of such rhetoric against the Iranian nation… will not be left without a response,” Hatami said, adding that Iran’s military forces are now more prepared than they were before to previous battles. He said, “If the enemy commits an error, it will face a more decisive response, and we will cut off the hand of any aggressor,” according to Fox News.
The general’s warning coincided with growing internal unrest brought on by inflation, economic hardship, and popular discontent with government policies, which has resulted in demonstrations spreading over much of the nation. Although Iranian officials have reacted with fresh subsidies and other modest economic measures, the unrest has continued for more than a week.
In a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the UN Security Council President, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, urged them to denounce Trump’s “unlawful threats” against Tehran.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, Ali Larijani, issued a warning that US meddling “is equivalent to chaos across the entire region and the destruction of American interests” in contrast.
The increasing uneasiness has been highlighted by international responses. According to Fox News, Australia has advised its people to leave Iran right now due to the increased possibility of an abrupt escalation linked to both domestic unrest and foreign threats.
Earlier remarks made by President Trump on Truth Social, in which he threatened U.S. action if Iranian troops “violently kill peaceful protesters,” seem to have been a major factor in Hatami’s statement.