Iran’s military chief warns of a robust response to threats from US President Trump and Israeli PM Netanyahu over anti-government protests.
TEHRAN: Iran’s military chief has warned the country will not tolerate threats from outside powers. General Amir Hatami issued the statement following supportive comments from US and Israeli leaders regarding anti-government protests.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the escalation of hostile rhetoric against the Iranian nation a threat and will not tolerate its continuation without responding,” Hatami said according to the Fars news agency. He cautioned that any enemy mistake would trigger a more robust response than during last June’s 12-day war with Israel.
In recent days, US President Donald Trump threatened intervention if demonstrators were killed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed solidarity with the protesters’ aspirations for freedom.
The protests began on December 28 when Tehran merchants demonstrated against soaring prices and the collapsing rial. This triggered similar, sometimes deadly, actions in several other cities.
Iran’s foreign ministry accused Trump and Netanyahu of inciting violence and undermining national unity. The June war referenced by Hatami began with an unprecedented Israeli attack on Iranian military and nuclear facilities.
The United States briefly participated in those strikes, hitting three major Iranian nuclear sites. The current demonstrations have attracted international attention but have not reached the scale of major past protest movements.
