Jafari: IRGC Ready for Swift and Severe Reaction Against Saudi Arabia

Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran, stated on Saturday, October 2, that the IRGC is prepared for a "swift and severe reaction" to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the "Mina incident." According to Fars News Agency, Jafari made these remarks on the sidelines of a meeting at the Khatam al-Anbia Naval Headquarters, saying, "The IRGC has prepared all possible capacities for Iran's swift and severe reaction in line with the will of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the horrific tragedy of Mina and to restore the rights of the victims who perished in the Mina slaughter, and we are waiting for orders to execute this." The IRGC commander also stated, "The IRGC is firmly and powerfully ready for any action, at any time and in any region, to defend the dignity of Muslims and their respect, especially the revolutionary people of Iran, against the tyrannical and ignorant rulers of Saudi Arabia, and will take severe revenge for this horrific crime from Saudi Arabia." Jafari emphasized that "the Islamic world is fed up with the treachery and ignorance of the Saudi regime, such as the massacre of the Yemeni people, the displacement of the dear Syrian people, the suppression of the people of Bahrain, sectarian killings in Iraq, and the creation of ethnic divisions and terrorism everywhere, and soon they will be consumed by the anger of Muslims." During a part of the Hajj rituals in Mina, hundreds of people were killed. Saudi Arabia reported the latest death toll from the Mina incident as 769, with 934 injured. Iran claims the number of casualties is much higher than this figure, with at least 465 of the deceased being Iranian pilgrims, according to Iranian media. The funeral ceremony for the pilgrims killed in Mina was held on Sunday in central Tehran, accompanied by protests against Saudi Arabia. Reports indicate that on Saturday, the bodies of 104 of these pilgrims were transferred to Iran, and on Sunday, the bodies of another 114 were brought back. The Mina incident and the deaths of Iranian pilgrims have intensified tensions between Tehran and Riyadh. Iranian officials accuse the Saudi government of mismanagement during the "Mina incident." In this context, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, reacted sharply to the Mina incident in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, October 1, threatening that if Iran were to react, it would be severe and harsh. Khamenei warned, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has so far shown restraint and adhered to Islamic decorum and the respect of brotherhood in the Islamic world, but let it be known that Iran's hand is stronger than many others and has more capabilities, and if it decides to respond to the annoying and malicious elements, their situation will not be good, and they will not be able to compete in any arena." Previously, the Iranian government had referred to Saudi Arabia as a "hostile country" and announced that Iran would file a complaint against it. Conversely, Riyadh accuses Tehran of seeking to exploit the "Mina incident" for political purposes. In this context, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, on Saturday during a ceremony welcoming the bodies of 104 Iranians returned from Saudi Arabia, emphasized that "we will not overlook the blood of our dear ones" and stated, "If necessary, we will use the language of power."