Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warn of readiness as Trump claims Tehran seeks dialogue amid tensions over protests and nuclear programme.
DAVOS: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned the United States and Israel on Thursday that its forces had their “finger on the trigger”.
The warning from Guards commander General Mohammad Pakpour followed mass protests and came as US President Donald Trump said Tehran still appeared interested in talks.
Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum, said the US attacked Iranian uranium enrichment sites last year to prevent a nuclear weapon.
“Can’t let that happen,” Trump said, adding “And Iran does want to talk, and we’ll talk.”
His comments followed a Tuesday warning that the US would “wipe them off the face of this earth” if Iran attacked him in retaliation for a strike targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Pakpour cautioned Israel and the US “to avoid any miscalculations” and learn from the “12-day imposed war” in June.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and dear Iran have their finger on the trigger, more prepared than ever,” he said in a statement quoted by state television.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the US and Israel of stoking the protests as “cowardly revenge” for their defeat in that war.
General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi warned that if America attacked, all US interests worldwide would be “legitimate targets” for Iran’s armed forces.
Iranian authorities gave a first official protest toll on Wednesday, stating 3,117 people were killed.
The statement said 2,427 of those were “martyrs”, including security forces and bystanders.
Pezeshkian said protest “is the natural right of citizens” but distinguished them from those “whose hands are stained with blood”.
Rights groups say the real death toll is far higher, with one NGO verifying at least 3,428 killings.
Another US-based group has documented 4,902 deaths and over 26,541 arrests.
A national internet blackout, now surpassing two weeks, has hampered efforts to confirm the scale.
