El Ciudadano
Original article: Comandante en jefe del ejército iraní reafirma que Teherán se toma en serio amenaza israelí y está preparado para responder
Iranian Army Chief Stresses Seriousness of Israeli Threat and Readiness to Respond
The Iranian Army’s Chief Commander, Amir Hatami, emphasized on Wednesday that Tehran takes the Israeli threat very seriously and is fully prepared to respond.
«The threat posed by the Zionist regime against the Islamic Republic is real and existential. We take this threat very seriously. We are preparing according to the magnitude of this threat,» Hatami underscored during a press conference.
«They [Israel] exploited a regular commercial protest and turned it into a riot, and then into an armed terrorist operation. This showed that they were fully prepared for it and will continue such actions in a series of twelve-day wars,» he added.
The Chief Commander of Iran’s military highlighted that thanks to the efforts of the security forces, police, and military, «the riots have been suppressed, and many of the rioters who fired upon our armed forces have been arrested.»
Previously, Hatami had warned that Tehran «views the escalation of rhetoric from enemies against the Iranian nation as a threat and will not allow it to go unanswered,» stressing that they are prepared to defend the country’s independence, territorial integrity, and the Islamic Republic system.
Regarding the U.S.-Israeli aggression against Iran during the twelve-day war last June, which resulted in at least 1,064 deaths and approximately 5,750 injuries, General Hatami made it clear that the Iranian Armed Forces are better prepared than before the conflict.
Meanwhile, the head of Iran’s judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni, stated that authorities would act «swiftly» to address the rioters amid recent protests in the country.
«These are the people who truly behead others, burn them, and set them on fire. Well, if we want to do something, we must do it quickly and on time,» he asserted.
«If the work is delayed, what we are doing today might be done in two months and not have the same effect,» he suggested in comments reported by Viory.
Mohseni highlighted that the two main objectives are «dealing with these rioters and clarifying the procedures» and «fighting against economic corruption.»
In line with this, the president of Iran’s Supreme Court, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, stated that «judicial measures against the rioters will be firm and within the law, but there will no longer be leniency or tolerance as in the past.»
Exploitation by Israel and the U.S. of Protests in Iran
Since December 28, 2025, peaceful demonstrations began in Tehran, where merchants temporarily suspended their activities in protest against the fall of the national currency against the U.S. dollar.
The Persian authorities have acknowledged that peaceful expressions of discontent are a legitimate right. However, various opposition figures abroad and external actors like the United States and Israel are taking advantage of this situation to promote their own interests and attempt to frame the peaceful economic protests as a call for broader confrontation.
Indeed, U.S. President Donald Trump pointed to Iranian protesters, stating that «help is on the way,» urging them to «keep protesting and take control of their institutions.»
On Monday, millions took to the streets in various cities across the Islamic nation to express their support for the authorities and military forces while condemning recent terrorist acts occurring in different parts of the country.
In a letter addressed to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Iran accused the United States and Israel of fostering political destabilization, inciting violence, and threatening the nation’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security.
Jofré: In 47 Years of the Islamic Revolution, Iran Has Been Attacked by the U.S. and Israel
On the program La Mañanera aired on Tuesday, the Director of El Ciudadano, Javier Pineda Olcay, spoke with international analyst Pablo Jofré Leal, who recalled that during the 47 years of the Islamic Revolution, Iran has been continually subjected to pressures from the U.S. government and the Israeli regime.
«These have been constant pressures and actions (…). The June 2025 war marked the alliance between the United States and the Israeli regime and resulted in the death of more than 1,200 Iranians and attacks on nuclear facilities (…). This is not new; it is not recent; it is part of the hybrid war being waged against the Islamic Republic of Iran, where traditional conflict elements merge with more modern ones, including cyber warfare and media wars,» he stated.
He noted that amid protests in the Persian nation, there have been calls to the demonstrators from U.S. President Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, stating, «We stand with you; keep going.»
«Moreover, agents of Mossad are actively participating in this, so the scenario, the framework is indisputable. There is active participation from foreign agents, terrorist groups, and not from those demonstrators who rightfully, as recognized and practiced by Iranian authorities, can protest because it is constitutionally enshrined,» he added.
However, he clarified, «one thing is to allow armed terrorist groups to not only kill civilians but security forces, police, and engage in the destruction of public property and the demolition of mosques in a deeply religious country.»
In Jofré’s opinion, «the Islamic Republic undoubtedly has every right to defend itself against this.»
He indicated that the Persian government can protect the protesters, «but there comes a time when you say, do not mix with terrorism, because it undoubtedly creates situations that evade intervention.»
For the analyst, it is evident that there is a political exploitation of the protests in Iran.
«Here, there is evidently a poorly communicated situation, numerous interests involving Zionism, political, ideological Zionism, not only from Israel but also from the United States, France, England, and Germany, against a country that has had to endure 47 years of permanent aggression and direct attacks.
He clarified that it is not just about citizen protests and urged to «separate the peaceful, legitimate protests of the Iranian population from opportunistic infiltrations of elements in Iran.»
He also highlighted the massive mobilizations recorded in various cities of Iran to support authorities and military forces while rejecting terrorist attacks.
«Hundreds of thousands of people in various cities in Iran take to the streets to condemn the attacks, the terrorist actions, not to hide the problems, because when one listens to the demonstrators, they say there are problems that need solving, but we will not accept the generation of terrorist situations and the use of terrorist elements to overthrow the government or harm the country,» he explained.
You can watch Pablo Jofré’s complete statements on La Mañanera below:
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