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Iran’s military warned it will crush any hostile act after the president said the country is effectively at war with the U.S.
Iran’s military has vowed to deliver a "far harsher, more crushing and more damaging" response to any hostile action, following remarks by the country’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, declaring Iran to be effectively at war with the United States. In a statement issued Monday, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces warned it would not tolerate threats to the nation’s security or its people, according to Iran's Tasnim News Agency. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email Monday morning.
The claims out of Iran come as President Donald Trump is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida Monday, with Iran likely to be among the topics discussed. The U.S. has been a strong backer of Israel in the Middle East, and struck nuclear sites in Iran in the summer.
Iranian commanders said the nation's armed forces remain on full readiness and cautioned that any future miscalculation by enemies would be met with overwhelming force. Over the weekend, Pezeshkian said his country was also at war with Europe and Israel, referencing his country's previous, elongated war with Iraq in which he said it was clear what was happening, with missiles being fired. Now, he said, the situation had shifted to one involving sanctions and blockades. The U.S. and many European countries have imposed extensive sanctions on Iran for years, including on its oil industry and financial sector, often in response to Iran's nuclear program. Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 29 vessels allegedly engaged in the covert delivery of Iranian oil and petroleum worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In June, both Israel and the U.S. struck sites connected with Tehran's nuclear industry and military during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. An Iranian official said more than 1,000 people were killed in Iran and several thousands more injured. Twenty eight people were killed in attacks on Israel. Following the June attacks, Trump insisted Iran's nuclear capabilities had been obliterated, but Israeli officials have expressed their concerns that Iran is rebuilding nuclear facilities.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking over the weekend: "On one side, they block our sales, our exchanges, our trade, and on the other side, expectations in society have risen."
The U.S. has not declared war on Iran and officials have sought to reach a deal to prevent tensions rising further. It remains to be seen whether Trump and Netanyahu can make progress on the situation during their meeting Monday.