A senior commander in Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said any attack on Iran's nuclear sites would spark an unprecedented regional conflagration and provided detailed threats of retaliation to Israeli and US interests.
"If Iran’s nuclear facilities are attacked, a fire will erupt in the region with dimensions beyond imagination," IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, days after US newspapers said Israel was mulling strikes this year.
The remarks were the clearest delineation in months by a senior Iranian military official of a potential response to an attack which US intelligence assessments see Israel as more willing to carry out after military setbacks for Tehran.
“If we engage in conflict with the US, we have enough targets in the region that we can strike with low-cost missiles,” Hajizadeh said. “If instead of 150 drones, we use 500 or even 1,000 drones, what can they possibly do?” he added.
The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post reported last week cited US intelligence findings from last month that Israel saw an opening for an attack on Iranian nuclear sites as early as the first of this year.
Israel is basing its assessment, the papers reported, on Iran's weakness after an Oct. 26 Israeli attack knocked out much of its air defenses and a greater perceived receptiveness to military action from US President Donald Trump.
Hajizadeh added Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had repeatedly personally followed up on Iran's anti-ballistic missile defenses, which he said would soon be ready.
“Some say that if we do not negotiate, they might attack. No one should worry; they can do absolutely nothing,” Hajizadeh said. Iran is working on extending its missile range to 2,000 km, he added, saying that US interests could be handily struck with less high-tech ordnance.
"The US has nearby targets around us that can be hit with low-cost missiles—there is no need to use intercontinental missiles from here."
'True Promise 3'
The senior commander also became the second high-ranking IRGC official in as many days to vow another direct attack on Israel, ratcheting up rhetoric against its Mideast adversary.
“Iran’s third attack on Israel, True Promise 3, will definitely take place, but officials have planned for it and will use it strategically—we will not waste it,” Hajizadeh added.
Vows of retaliation following Oct. 26 Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military targets in Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam provinces had largely subsided weeks after the attack.
Iran condemned the operation, which killed five people including four military officers and a civilian. Tehran said air defenses intercepted most of the incoming strikes.
Without detailing the losses the Islamic Republic has suffered in previous Israeli attacks, the IRGC Aerospace commander added, “Warfare is not just about striking; we must also be prepared to take hits."
"In fact, these attacks have not been entirely bad for us because they made officials pay more attention and allocate more funds and resources to us,” he added.
His remarks come after Khamenei has rejected US President Donald Trump's overtures for a nuclear deal, deepening a standoff with Washington.
Khamenei said on Monday that Iran could fend off an attack by its enemies and added the next day that Trump's plan to seize Gaza and displace Palestinians - now a key plank of US Mideast policy - was 'stupid' and doomed to failure.
