Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed a “tooth-breaking” response to both Israel and the United States, coinciding with Iran’s assertion of its nuclear weapon capability.
Kamal Kharrazi, a senior Iranian official, issued a warning about Iran’s nuclear capacity on Friday, stating that Iran may be willing to revise its policies on using nuclear weapons if the country faces an existential threat.
“If an existential threat arises, Iran will modify its nuclear doctrine, we have the capability to build weapons and have no issue in this regard,” Kharrazi told Lebanese media.
General Mohammad Naeini of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard echoed this strong rhetoric on Saturday.
“A decisive and strong response will be given to the enemy’s new aggression. The response will be beyond the enemy’s comprehension, strategic, and powerful. The enemy must learn its lesson that it cannot engage in any act of hostility without receiving a crushing response in return,” Naeini said.
Naeini’s comments referred to Israel’s October 26 attack on Iran, which targeted That attack from Israel came in response to a wave of 200-some missiles launched from Iran into Israel on October 1.
signaled on Thursday that Iran’s nuclear program could be Jerusalem’s next target amidst Tehran’s threats of retaliation.
The United States, Israel’s primary ally in its efforts against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, has repeatedly cautioned Iran against attacking its nuclear and oil facilities, fearing such an act could trigger a wider regional conflict.
Reports this week suggested that Iran might be waiting until after the U.S. presidential election next week, although other reports indicated that Tehran’s retaliatory strike could occur at any time.
‘ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report