Tehran: Senior Iranian military officials issued stern warnings Saturday, threatening a severe response to any future attacks on Iran's interests while blasting remarks made by US President Donald Trump. Brig. Gen. Ramezan Sharif, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), dismissed Trump's recent statements as 'nonsense,' saying they were 'the result of a heavy defeat to Iran.'
According to Anadolu Agency, Sharif warned, "If Iran's national interests and assets are attacked again, our response this time will be different, more crushing and destructive, and could accelerate the collapse of the American regime." His statement was broadcast by the Iranian Fars news agency, emphasizing the severity of Iran's potential response.
Separately, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, deputy commander for coordination at the guard corps, delivered a stark warning: 'If there is the slightest attack on any Shia religious authorities, whether successful or not, not a single American agent will leave this region alive. All American diplomats, military personnel, and employees in the region will either be killed or captured.'
These comments were made in the wake of Trump's sharp criticism of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday, where the US President warned of considering further military actions against Iran if the nation continued its uranium enrichment efforts.
The tensions follow a recent incident on June 22, when the US dropped six bunker-buster bombs on the Fordo nuclear facility and launched numerous cruise missile attacks on sites in Natanz and Isfahan as part of its campaign against Iran's nuclear program.
Earlier on Saturday, thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran for a funeral procession honoring those killed during recent Israeli airstrikes, which included military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.
The recent 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which began on June 13, resulted in significant casualties. Israeli air strikes on Iranian military, nuclear, and civilian sites led to at least 606 deaths and 5,332 injuries, according to Iran's Health Ministry. In retaliation, Tehran launched missile and drone strikes on Israel, causing at least 29 deaths and injuring more than 3,400, based on figures released by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The conflict was paused under a US-sponsored ceasefire that took effect on June 24.