KEY POINTS
- Iran’s Defence Council issues warning amid regional tensions.
- Tehran condemns foreign threats and meddling without naming specific countries.
- Tehran claims right to preemptive action against tangible security threats.
ISLAMABAD: The Secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Defence Council has issued a sharply worded statement declaring that the country will not hesitate to deliver a “decisive, proportionate, and determining response” to any continued aggression or hostile actions against it.
The warning, broadcast via state media, underscores Tehran’s increasingly assertive defence posture amid simmering regional tensions and stalled nuclear negotiations.
The statement condemned what it described as an “escalation of threatening rhetoric and meddlesome remarks” against the Islamic Republic by foreign actors.
While not naming specific countries, the declaration comes amid a period of heightened friction with Israel and the United States, involving suspected covert actions, diplomatic clashes, and ongoing concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme.
The statement comes days after US President Donald Trump warned of interference in Iran.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump warned Iran against the use of force against protesters, saying Washington “will come to their rescue”.
In a brief post on social media, he wrote: “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” but gave no further details.
A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by saying Trump should “be careful” if he intervened, warning of potential chaos across the Middle East.
In Friday’s post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.”
In his post, the US president did not specify what action Washington could take against Iran.
Core principles outlined
The Council’s Secretariat emphasised two foundational principles guiding Iran’s security policy:
Inviolable Red Lines
It stated that Iran’s security, independence, and territorial integrity are absolute red lines. Any perceived violation, it warned, would be met with a firm military and strategic response.
Proactive defence doctrine
In a significant elaboration of its military doctrine, the statement asserted that Iran “does not limit itself to reacting only after an attack.”
It formally considers “tangible signs of threat” as part of its security calculus, reserving the right for pre-emptive action within what it terms a “framework of legitimate defence.”
The warning is viewed as a direct message amid a series of regional incidents over the past year.
These include suspected airstrikes on Iranian military personnel in Syria, cyber-attacks on Iranian infrastructure, and the assassination of nuclear scientists — acts Tehran has blamed on Israel.
Potential implications
The explicit claim of a right to preemptive action based on intelligence assessments raises the risk of miscalculation.
The declaration serves both as a domestic rallying point and an external deterrent, reinforcing the narrative of a nation prepared to defend itself decisively.
With diplomatic channels stagnant and covert actions continuing, the public delineation of these red lines and military doctrine clarifies the potential triggers for open conflict, while simultaneously raising the stakes for all parties involved in the volatile regional standoff.
