Khamenei Described Military Warnings as 'Psychological Warfare of the Enemy' to Create 'Fear and Retreat'

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, in his latest remarks, stated that 'the enemy, by exaggerating its capabilities in psychological warfare, seeks to create fear and retreat in the military arena.' On Wednesday, August 15, during a meeting with a group of Islamic Republic officials, he said that 'non-tactical retreat' in both military and political arenas 'brings about divine wrath.' He added that since the beginning of the revolution, 'the enemies of Iran' have sought to instill fear of the U.S., U.K., and Israel in the Iranian people. Khamenei's remarks came two days after the leaders of France, the U.K., and Germany urged Iran and its allied groups in the region not to attack Israel, as such an attack would escalate regional tensions and jeopardize a potential ceasefire between Israel and the extremist group Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. One day later, Ali Bagheri Kani, the head of Iran's Foreign Ministry, rejected the European countries' call for restraint against Israel, deeming action against Israel 'inevitable.' He considered the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran as 'a violation of Iran's national security and territorial integrity' and stated that it is Iran's 'legitimate and legal right' to take 'reciprocal action' against Israel. Following Haniyeh's assassination, the Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly threatened retaliatory action against Israel. Iranian officials attribute the killing of the Hamas leader to Israel, and Khamenei has promised 'vengeance' in this regard. However, Israeli officials have yet to confirm or deny their involvement in this assassination. In this context, the Pentagon announced on Sunday that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the deployment of a missile-equipped submarine in the Middle East. The U.S. military has recently positioned the largest amount of military equipment and personnel in various locations in the region to assist Israel against potential attacks from Iran and Hezbollah. This military arrangement represents the largest gathering of U.S. troops in the region since their withdrawal from Iraq in previous years.