Iran would unleash a devastating response to any assault on its territory, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Mohammad Pakpour, said on Tuesday.
“If any aggression is committed against Iran, our response will be stronger than the 12-day war and we will turn the region into hell for the enemy,” Pakpour said, quoted by state broadcaster IRIB.
He added that Iran’s missile systems had performed with “power and precision” during the June war with Israel.
Pakpour made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Iraq’s National Security Adviser Qasim al-Araji.
According to Iranian state media, Al-Araji emphasized Iraq’s commitment to security cooperation with Iran and saying his country would not allow its territory to be used for hostile acts against Tehran.
Iran’s top military officials have repeatedly warned they are monitoring regional adversaries and will respond forcefully if provoked.
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Monday that Tehran was not seeking war but would deliver a completely different response if attacked.
An Iranian lawmaker also warned on Tuesday that Iran would destroy enemy bases in the region if attacked.
“If the enemy is not attacking now, it is because it cannot,” Esmaeil Siavoshi said on Tuesday, according to state media. “It knows that if it attacks, we will destroy all its bases in the Persian Gulf.”
Pakpour said cooperation between Iran and Iraq was essential to prevent foreign interference and to ensure border security, adding that both countries had agreed to strengthen coordination through a joint field committee.
