Iran Threatens Retaliation in Case of U.S. Attack

The military advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic threatened that if the U.S. attacks Iran, "all military bases of this country in the region will become unsafe," and Iran's missiles can cover a range of up to two thousand kilometers. According to Mehr News Agency, Yahya Rahim Safavi, advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, stated in a speech on Wednesday, June 14, that "the ultimate goal of wars is to impose the political will of one country on the government and nation of another country, and such impositions can be achieved either by occupying part of a country's territory or by establishing a specific type of government." Rahim Safavi also announced the end of the bipolar world, stating that "America's power is in decline, and the reason for this is its inability to resolve the Syrian crisis and impose its demands in that country." He emphasized, "If the U.S. wants to start a war against Iran, all military bases of this country in the region will become unsafe." The former commander of the Revolutionary Guards also mentioned that the Islamic Republic's missiles can cover a distance of two thousand kilometers. Rahim Safavi's reference to missiles with a range of two thousand kilometers comes as Israeli officials have previously interpreted the purpose of the Islamic Republic's missile program and the construction of missiles with a range of two thousand kilometers or more as a threat to Israel's existence. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and his close associates have repeatedly emphasized that if the United States attacks Iran, the Islamic Republic will endanger all of its interests worldwide. Iranian officials also claim that due to the Islamic Republic's "capabilities," a U.S. attack on Iran is unlikely. However, some conservative figures in Iran have accused the Trump administration of seeking war with Iran through its policies. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, has repeatedly referred to the nuclear agreement with Iran as a "bad deal" and warned that his administration will closely monitor the Islamic Republic's government. Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, also made a statement on Wednesday that will undoubtedly provoke strong reactions from Iranian officials. He announced that U.S. policy supports "elements within Iran" that lead to a peaceful change of this government [the Islamic Republic]. The Secretary of State, who spoke on June 14 in the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the budget and policies of his department, stated that after studying the JCPOA, he found the nuclear agreement with Iran to be a "weak deal." Meanwhile, a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader's representative in the Revolutionary Guards and a former political deputy of this institution stated that "the Americans are seeking to create the groundwork for entering into war with the Islamic Republic of Iran through pressure." Yadollah Javani emphasized in an interview with the Mizan news agency that the Islamic Republic will not limit its "defensive capabilities" "under the influence of any issue." Iran's missile program has faced protests from the United Nations, the U.S., and the European Union in recent years. However, apart from external protests, Hassan Rouhani also accused the Revolutionary Guards in the second presidential debate of attempting to undermine the Vienna nuclear agreement by showcasing missile warehouses and writing slogans on missiles. The Iranian President's remarks referred to the display of the Revolutionary Guards' missile silos on Iranian television in 2015 and the writing of the slogan "Israel must be wiped off the map" in Hebrew on one of the tested missiles. Massoud Jazayeri, the spokesman for the Armed Forces of Iran, reacted to these remarks by urging election candidates to "avoid controversial entry into military issues" and, according to him, "providing misleading addresses to the people." After the presidential elections, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guards, announced the establishment of the third underground missile production factory of the Guards and promised that Iran would increase its "missile power."