Iran’s military chief has warned that the country will not tolerate threats from external powers, following expressions of support by the United States and Israel for ongoing anti-government protests.
Speaking on Wednesday, the commander of the Iranian army, General Amir Hatami, said Iran viewed the escalation of hostile rhetoric against the country as a direct threat and would respond if it continued. The remarks were reported by Iran’s state-linked Fars news agency.
Hatami cautioned that any miscalculation by Iran’s adversaries would provoke a response stronger than Tehran’s actions during last June’s 12-day conflict with Israel. Although Hatami is the head of the army, he is not Iran’s most senior military official.
Tensions have risen in recent days after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could intervene if demonstrators in Iran were killed, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly expressed support for the protests.
The demonstrations began on December 28, when merchants in Tehran protested soaring prices and the sharp depreciation of the national currency, the rial. The unrest later spread to several other cities, with some protests turning deadly.
While the current demonstrations have not reached the scale of the nationwide protests seen in 2022–2023 or the mass rallies that followed Iran’s disputed 2009 elections, they have drawn significant international attention, particularly from countries at odds with the Islamic Republic.
Trump said on Sunday that the United States was closely monitoring the situation, warning of serious consequences if violence was used against protesters. Netanyahu, addressing Israel’s cabinet, said Israel stood “in solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people” and their aspirations for freedom and justice.
Iran’s foreign ministry responded on Monday by accusing both leaders of attempting to incite violence and undermine Iran’s national unity.
The heightened rhetoric comes months after a brief but intense conflict in June, which began with an unprecedented Israeli strike on Iranian military and nuclear facilities. The United States later joined the campaign, carrying out attacks on three major Iranian nuclear sites.
