Tehran – Iran’s top military commander warns that the country’s troops are fully prepared to bring about a threatening response to the threat posed by “strategic surprises” and hostile forces, vows not to respond to recent acts of aggression by Israel and the United States.
Major General Abdulrahim Musavi, the military’s chief of staff, issued a warning with a message commemorating the sacred week of defense, commemorating the eight-year war imposed on Iran by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the 1980s.
“We assure the noble and heroic Iranian nation that by relying on strategic surprises, the military is ready to give a timely, critical, regret-inducing, immeasurable response to the threats of global bullies and oppressors,” Musabi said.
He emphasized that Iran is not passive in the face of an attack, but instead will turn all threats into opportunities to demonstrate its strength at both regional and international stages.
Musabi also mentioned Israel’s shocking attack on Iran in June, which quickly escalated into a 12-day war. He said the enemy failed to achieve its objectives thanks to the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities, defence and regional alliances, and made an “strong and proportional” response to Iran’s army.
The public emphasized the importance of advancing modern defense techniques and strengthening deterrence, particularly when facing the hybrid and cognitive wars waged by the enemy.
On June 13, Israel launched an unprovoked war with Iran, assassinating high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. In response, Iran carried out waves of missile strikes, including ballistic and polar weapons, against sensitive Israeli targets in Tel Aviv, Haifa and other occupied cities.
The US later joined the conflict by bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities, urging Iran to retaliate against Al-Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar. Following these exchanges, the White House proposed a ceasefire, but Israel ultimately accepted.
Escalation occurred while Iran and the United States engaged in indirect negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. The sixth round of consultations was stopped after the outbreak of hostilities.
Uniform command between the Army and the IRGC
On the same occasion, Army Chief Major General Amir Khatami and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Chief Major General Mohammad Pakpur (IRGC) repeatedly said that the offensive acts would encounter “unified, swift, intelligent, powerful responses” from the troops of the combined military and IRGC.
Khatami said that since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the enemy has consistently pressured Iran to waive its rights, but the state has resisted through sacrifice and patience. “The enemy must change their views on the great people of Iran, the sacred system of the Islamic Republic, and the leaders of the Islamic Revolution,” he said.
He described the Army and IRGC alliance as “iron shield” against foreign conspiracies with “a solid pillar of national security” and “iron shield.” Citing both the eight-year war imposed by Iraq and the recent 12-day conflict, Khatami said through official support and determination that Iran “had hindered major conspiracies in the East and West.”
General Pakpur highlighted the role of Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution. He said the leader’s strategic direction forced Israel and the United States to retreat and agree to a ceasefire.
Both wars shared the same goal: IRGC spokesman
IRGC spokesman Brigadier Ali Mohammad Naini elicited similarities between the eight-year Iraq war and the recent 12-day conflict, describing it as a proxy war aimed at destroying Iran and overthrowing the Islamic Republic.
“In the eight-year war, the enemy separated Huzestan and ultimately tried to defeat the system. In the recent 12-day war, they tried to attack the core elements of Iran’s power,” he said.
He explained that the enemy is hoping for massive unrest within Iran after the initial airstrikes on commanders, nuclear scientists and strategic locations. The unrest was supposed to coincide with the invasion of armed groups across the border.
“The two wars had the same purpose, but their nature was different,” Naini said. “The eight-year war was based on land and manpower intended to occupy territory. However, the recent conflict was a high-tech hybrid war with missiles and air forces.”
He highlighted the military preparations during the war in June, noting that Iranian drones were already in operation within an hour of the first strike. “We could have started the missile work right away, but we were delayed a few hours due to certain considerations. Our preparation was extraordinary,” he said.