TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Wednesday that it is at the “peak of defensive readiness” amid a dramatic escalation of tensions with the United States.
Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC’s aerospace division, said in comments carried by the semi-official Fars News Agency that the country’s missile stockpiles have increased.
The IRGC aerospace force is “at peak defensive readiness and prepared to counter any aggression,” Mousavi stressed.
He noted that the division’s production across various fields has grown compared to the period before the 12-day war with Israel in mid-June.
During this time, he said, all damage sustained during the June war have been fully repaired, “keeping the force at the highest level of preparedness.”
During the 12-day war in June, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Tel Aviv attacked Iran and killed a number of senior military commanders and scientists. Washington also bombed three Iranian nuclear sites during the conflict.
Mousavi’s remarks come as US President Donald Trump hinted at possible military action against Iran amid ongoing protests that have swept the country since last month.
“To all Iranian patriots, keep protesting,” Trump wrote on social media following a speech in Michigan on Tuesday. He urged Iranians to “take over institutions” and warned that those identified as “killers and abusers” would “pay a very big price.”
Previously, Trump had pledged to “come to the rescue” of Iranian protesters should the government use lethal force against them.
Reports have indicated that the US president is considering military strikes against Iran, following his announcement of a 25 percent tariff on countries trading with Tehran.
Iranian officials have responded with strongly-worded warnings that they would target US military bases in the region if Iran is attacked.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday, Iran’s envoy to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, accused Trump of inciting violence within Iran and threatening military intervention.
Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani also dismissed Trump’s threats, labeling him “one of the main killers of Iranians.”
Many countries have urged their citizens to immediately leave Iran.