ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday instructed senior military commanders to prepare for an immediate response without geographical restrictions to any renewed attacks on the country and to expand the range of potential US and Israeli targets, according to Iranian state media.
“Any level and type of enemy threat must receive an immediate, effective response without geographical limitation,” Khamenei said, according to state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
Khamenei also ordered a comprehensive update of Iran’s military target database to bring all material and non-material assets of US and Israel within reach of the country's armed forces.
The directives come amid growing concerns over renewed hostilities between Iran and the United States, as Washington maintains its military buildup in the Middle East while diplomatic efforts to prevent another escalation continue.
Khamenei warned that if Iran were to be attacked again, the country's armed forces and people would determine "when and under what conditions the fighting would end."
During the meeting, senior commanders briefed Khamenei on military readiness along the Persian Gulf coast, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and Iran's northwestern and southeastern borders, according to state media.
Khamenei also stressed the importance of strengthening military intelligence, developing modern defense capabilities and supporting the livelihoods of military personnel.
His directives come as regional powers continue efforts to revive stalled negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
A Qatari delegation visited Tehran on Friday for talks with Iranian officials as Qatar and Pakistan continued mediation efforts to secure an agreement between the two sides.
US President Donald Trump has added to the uncertainty over the direction of the conflict, indicating that talks with Tehran remain ongoing despite threats of renewed military action.
“There are talks. They want to talk, they keep talking… We have time, frankly,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday.
Trump said earlier in October that the United States would not launch attacks on Iran before the November 3 US midterm elections, leaving open the possibility of military action afterward.
Khamenei's latest directives follow a series of meetings with senior Iranian officials over the past week.
During a meeting with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Khamenei stressed the need to protect purchasing power and prioritize the livelihoods of military personnel.
“Without a doubt, the entire nation knows that the armed forces and fighters must be our priority,” Ghalibaf asserted.
During a Tuesday meeting with Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Khamenei called for safeguarding Iran’s interests and those of the “resistance front” by securing Tehran’s conditions for ending the war and the state of “no war, no peace.”
The “resistance front,” also known as the Axis of Resistance, is an Iran-backed political and military alliance operating in several countries in the region. It includes pro-Iran armed factions in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Ansarullah Movement, commonly known as the Houthis, in Yemen.
