Iran’s Defence Minister, Amir Nasirzadeh, warned that his country would respond in a devastating and thunderous manner to any aggression against it, stressing that Iran would not allow anyone to threaten it. He also cautioned US President Donald Trump against issuing threats toward the Iranian people.
The Iranian minister stated that all American interests anywhere in the world would be exposed to danger if Trump committed what he described as any reckless act and attacked Iranian interests. He clarified that any state that contributes to facilitating such an attack or places its bases at the service of the aggressors would be considered a legitimate target for an Iranian response.
He added that Iran’s defensive posture is strong compared with the most recent war, citing the measures that have been taken to reinforce its capabilities.
For his part, the Commander in Chief of the Iranian Army, Major General Amir Hatami, said that Tehran today is more capable than it was before the twelve day war. He noted, however, that American and Israeli threats against Iran are real and that the country is treating them with full seriousness.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, responded to President Trump by declaring that the main killers of the Iranian people would be named, identifying Trump first and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu second.
In the same context, The New York Times quoted a US official as saying that the Pentagon had presented Trump with options for striking Iran that were broader than what had previously been reported.
Earlier, President Trump had called on Iranians to continue protesting and to take control of their institutions. He also urged them to remember the names of those he described as killers and aggressors, stating that they would pay a heavy price.
Trump added that he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until what he described as the senseless killing of protesters comes to an end. He claimed that help is on the way and called for making Iran great again, according to his words.
Iran has been witnessing protests over living conditions for the third consecutive week, against the backdrop of a sharp decline in the currency’s exchange rate and purchasing power, amid a comprehensive internet shutdown. In several demonstrations, slogans opposing the authorities have been raised.
The independent Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency, HRANA, announced on Tuesday that the death toll from the protests that have been taking place in the country for about two weeks has risen to at least 646 people. This includes 512 protesters, in addition to 133 security personnel and one public prosecutor.
