Iran warns US, Israel against attack amid tensions

USS Abraham Lincoln

Iranian army chief Amir Hatami on Saturday issued a stern warning to the United States and Israel, saying any attack would threaten their own security as well as regional stability. Speaking to the official IRNA news agency, Hatami said Iran’s armed forces were “at full defensive and military readiness.”

“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,” he said.

The warning comes after Washington deployed a naval strike group to the Middle East, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, following a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran. The move has raised fears of a possible direct confrontation.

Nuclear capabilities ‘cannot be eliminated’

Hatami also stressed that Iran’s nuclear technology could not be wiped out, even if Iranian scientists and citizens were killed. His comments came after former US President Donald Trump suggested that Tehran might seek a deal to avoid military action.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had previously said Tehran was open to nuclear talks but would never negotiate its missile or defence capabilities.

Military exercises in the Gulf

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday warned Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against “unsafe and unprofessional behaviour” after the force announced a two-day live-fire naval exercise in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a crucial corridor for global energy supplies.

Calls for domestic reforms

Amid rising tensions abroad, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian urged the government to address domestic grievances following nationwide protests. “We must work with the people and for the people and serve the people as much as possible,” he said in a state TV address.

He added that acting justly and fairly would strengthen the nation. “Under such conditions, no power can cripple a government, a society, or a nation that acts justly, fairly, and on the basis of rights,” Pezeshkian said.

Iran remains in a delicate position, balancing domestic unrest with heightened military tensions in the Gulf, as Washington continues to keep the region under close watch.

—  With inputs from AFP