ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian officials on Thursday issued sharp warnings against any attack on the country, declaring readiness for "any war" and threatening to "surprise" the United States and Israel if military action is taken. The warnings come amid reports that Israel may launch strikes on Iranian targets should nuclear negotiations with Washington collapse.
Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated, “The enemy is threatening us with military war,” adding, “We are ready for every scenario and have a military strategy,” according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.
“We can see the depth of the enemy’s targets and are confident in the support of the Iranian people,” Salami said, emphasizing, “If our hands are untied, we will achieve victories that will force the enemy to regret their actions.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s state-run English language broadcaster, Press TV, on Thursday quoted a senior security official warning that Iran would “surprise the United States and Israel in case of aggression.”
A day earlier, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh made similar threats on Wednesday, warning, “If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent’s casualties will certainly be higher, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach.”
“We have access to them, and we will target all of them in the host countries without hesitation,” he added.
These escalatory remarks come amid reports that Israel is prepared to strike Iranian facilities if nuclear talks with the US break down.
CBS News quoted multiple sources on Thursday as saying that US officials had been informed Israel is “fully ready” to launch military action against Iran.
Although Israeli officials have not confirmed the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office posted in April that he had “led countless overt and covert operations in the campaign against Iran’s nuclear program.”
“It is only due to these operations that Iran does not currently possess a nuclear arsenal,” the Israeli premier’s office added.
Importantly, US President Donald Trump in May publicly urged Netanyahu not to attack Iran while nuclear talks continue, stating it would be “inappropriate” as negotiations are “very close to a solution.”
Indirect U.S.-Iran talks, mediated by Oman, have been underway since April 12, with the fifth round held on May 23.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed in a statement on X that “the 6th round of Iran-US talks will be held in Muscat this Sunday [on June] the 15th.”
The heightened rhetoric also comes as the US has moved to reduce its regional presence.
On Thursday, the US State Department issued a travel advisory warning citizens against all travel to Iraq due to “high risks, including violence and kidnapping.”
Earlier in the day, the State Department confirmed that “based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce our Mission in Iraq.”
Asked about the matter on Wednesday, US President Trump told reporters that American personnel were being moved away “because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens.”
“We've given notice to move out. We'll see what happens," Trump said.
Answering a question on what could bring the tensions down, the US President responded, "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, we won't allow it."
The current talks between the US and Iran represent the most substantial engagement between the two countries since 2018, when Trump - during his first term in office - withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear agreement - formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Under the JCPOA, Tehran had agreed to limit its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. Following the US withdrawal and the reimposition of sweeping sanctions, Iran gradually scaled back its compliance.
A key sticking point in the ongoing negotiations remains uranium enrichment. US negotiators are pushing for “zero enrichment” to prevent potential weaponization, but Tehran insists that condition is a nonstarter.
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