In a sharply worded address delivered at a national festival in Tehran, Iran’s Army Chief Amir Hatami declared Saturday that any miscalculation by the United States would critically endanger the security of both American forces and Israeli interests throughout West Asia. The senior military official stated that Iranian armed forces maintain complete defensive readiness while closely monitoring regional movements of perceived adversaries.
Speaking before national attendees, General Hatami emphasized that Iranian forces maintain constant vigilance with “our finger on the trigger,” suggesting immediate responsiveness to perceived threats. The commander’s remarks referenced recent regional diplomatic developments, specifically acknowledging neighboring nations’ commitments to deny use of their territories and airspace for operations against Iran. He characterized these assurances as recognition that regional instability inevitably follows any security compromise targeting Iran.
The address included a conditional openness to diplomatic resolution, with Hatami stipulating that meaningful dialogue must originate from respectful treatment toward the Iranian nation. This positioning emerges alongside conflicting signals from Washington, where President Trump previously referenced a “massive armada” spearheaded by the USS Abraham Lincoln advancing toward regional waters, concurrently indicating diminishing patience for negotiated settlements.
Contrasting the military commander’s stern rhetoric, Iran’s diplomatic corps separately expressed willingness for engagement under appropriate conditions. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, speaking from Istanbul on Friday, confirmed Iran’s openness to negotiations with the United States while explicitly rejecting discussions conducted under coercive threats. This dual-track approach reflects Tehran’s simultaneous preparation for military confrontation and diplomatic resolution amid escalating tensions with Western powers.