Speaking at his weekly press conference on Monday, Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran is in a state of war and that its Armed Forces have “not the slightest doubt” about defending the country.
He emphasized that Iran is closely monitoring developments regardless of Israeli officials’ rhetoric and would not delay exercising its inherent right to self-defense.
Commenting on the Israeli regime’s elections and the efforts to create an atmosphere for military action against Iran, Baqaei dismissed the Zionist regime’s political contest as a competition among different factions to commit more acts of violence and killing.
“I don’t think there are elections there. It is a competition between different gangs over who can commit more acts of evil,” he said.
Baqaei said it makes no difference to Iran who takes the helm of the Zionist regime, whose record is marked by violence and killing. He also pointed to the continuation of the genocide of Palestinians, saying that threats issued out of desperation are part of the Israeli regime’s nature.
“We are closely monitoring developments, regardless of this rhetoric, and our Armed Forces have not the slightest doubt when it comes to defending Iran,” he said.
Responding to reports of differences among Israeli officials over Iran, Baqaei said the officials share a consensus on their malicious conduct. He said the Israeli regime’s actions demonstrate that it is seeking to destabilize the region, describing it as a “war-mongering regime.”
Addressing threats against Iran, the spokesman said those responsible for monitoring potential threats are doing so and would take action when necessary. Referring to the 40-day US-Israeli war of aggression, he said Iranian forces have responded decisively wherever hostile actions have targeted the country and would continue to do so.
Asked about reports that Iran has identified locations for potential retaliatory strikes against the US, Baqaei said decisions on how Iran would respond to any future military aggression are beyond his remit.
“How we will act in the face of any future military aggression is not within my purview. We are not going to announce our actions before carrying them out,” he said.
The spokesman added that Iran’s Armed Forces would demonstrate how they could surprise an adversary, noting that lessons from previous experiences would certainly inform future strategies.
Baqaei also stressed that Iran remains committed to international law, in contrast to the conduct of its adversaries, and said Tehran has consistently observed international humanitarian law.
“In the future, our guiding principle will be to use all available capabilities to defend the country and repel the enemy’s hostile actions,” he said.