Iran said it would respond decisively to external threats after the United States and Israel voiced support for anti-government protests
Iran warned on Tuesday that it would not tolerate threats from foreign powers, as tensions rose after the
United States and Israel publicly expressed support for anti-government
protests, a stance that coincided with reports of a possible Israeli attack on Tehran and heightened regional unease.
Iran’s top defence body said it would deliver a “firm response” to what it described as hostile behaviour. The remarks were attributed to General Amir Hatami, who said Iran would not allow threatening rhetoric to continue unchecked.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the escalation of hostile rhetoric against the Iranian nation a threat and will not tolerate its continuation without responding,” Hatami said, according to the Fars news agency.
US and Israel cited in the statement
The comments followed recent statements by
US President Donald Trump, who warned of intervention if Iranian demonstrators were killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also publicly expressed support for the protesters.
In a statement, Iran’s Defence Council condemned what it described as an “escalation of threatening rhetoric and interventionist remarks” against the country.
“Any aggression or continuation of hostile actions will be met with a decisive, proportionate, and determining response,” the council said, adding that Iran’s security, independence and territorial integrity were “inviolable red lines”.
Warning extends to internal interference
The council said any aggression against national interests, interference in internal affairs or actions threatening Iran’s stability would face a “targeted, proportionate, and decisive reaction”.
It also warned that Iran would not limit itself to post-action responses and would take “tangible signs of threat” into account in its security calculations.
Defence Council
The Defence Council was established in early August last year following a 12-day war with Israel. It is headed by President Masoud Pezeshkian and includes former security chiefs Ali Shamkhani and Ali Akbar Ahmadian.
This marks the first statement issued by the council and comes amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel.
Speculation has grown that Netanyahu received a green signal from Trump for a new round of attacks on Iran during a recent visit to Washington. This came despite Netanyahu saying in a television interview that Israel was not seeking escalation.
Israeli media have also reported that Netanyahu sent a message to Iran through Russian President Vladimir Putin, indicating he was not looking for fresh escalation.
Trump has made several remarks that have angered officials in Tehran, including comments last week in which he said the US was “locked and loaded” and would “come to the rescue” of Iranian protesters if lethal force was used during protests over worsening economic conditions.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused Washington of “escalating tensions in the region”, while senior official Ali Larijani warned that the US “should be mindful of their soldiers’ security” in the region if Iran were attacked.
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