TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Monday against what he called “soft war” tactics employed by enemies in a bid to sow discord within the Islamic republic.
“Today, we have no concerns regarding hard defence or the enemy’s military threats. Islamic Iran possesses strong capabilities to counter such threats, ensuring a high level of security for its people,” said Khamenei during a speech in Tehran.
He said Iran’s “enemies” – referring to Israel and the United States – sought to create problems through “soft war threats” aimed at “manipulating public opinion, creating discord and casting doubt over the foundations of the Islamic Revolution”.
The remarks came a day after Israel received a shipment of heavy American weapons during a visit by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country had dealt a “mighty blow to Iran’s terror axis” and vowed to “finish the job” against Iran with US support.
Khamenei cites need to further develop Iran’s military after Trump threats
Tehran’s allies in the region, including the Palestinian Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon, have suffered severe blows in conflicts with Israel.
The war also saw rare direct attacks between Iran and Israel for the first time, after engaging in a shadow war for years.
In recent videos, Netanyahu has addressed Iranians in a seemingly friendly tone, and in one, he claimed that the Iranian government was leading its people “closer to the abyss”.
During his speech, Khamenei acknowledged that Iranians “have problems and legitimate expectations”, referring to the economic difficulties faced by the country due to international sanctions.
US President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House for a second term in January, has reinstated his “maximum pressure” policy of sanctions against Iran, mirroring his approach during his first term.
Under this policy, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, accusing Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons, an allegation that Tehran has consistently denied.
Trump has recently called for striking a deal with Iran, but Khamenei later said “no problem will be solved by negotiating with America”.