Iran’s Supreme Leader orders ‘immediate, effective’ response without geographic limits to any new military threat
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei ordered the armed forces to respond immediately and effectively to any new threat without geographic restrictions, as senior commanders briefed him on military readiness in the Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf and other border regions.
Meeting senior military commanders on Saturday, Khamenei said “smart combat readiness” was essential to what he called maximum deterrence and instructed that every level and type of threat be met with an “immediate and effective response, without geographical limitation.”
“If the enemies once again begin military or terrorist attacks, it will be the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation that determine the time and conditions for ending them,” he said.
Khamenei also ordered Iran’s military target bank to be updated so that what his office described as the material and non-material assets of the “American-Zionist enemy” remain within reach of Iranian forces.
He called for strengthened military intelligence, deeper indigenous defense doctrine and tactics, greater use of new technologies and continued development of modern defensive and security capabilities.
During the meeting, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, Army Commander Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami and IRGC Commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi reported on readiness along the Persian Gulf coast, operational areas around the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, and Iran’s northwestern and southeastern borders.
The commanders also reported a multiple-fold increase in the production of ammunition and reconnaissance, support and combat weapons, according to the Supreme Leader’s office. No independent data was provided to verify the production figures.
The orders come amid heightened concern over possible renewed U.S. strikes on Iran after the U.S. midterm elections, while diplomatic efforts through Qatari mediators continue in parallel.