A senior Iranian military commander warned the United States and Israel on Thursday against any attack on Iran as the country prepares for the state funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed in airstrikes on the first day of the recent war.
Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a statement carried by state media that Iran's enemies specially US and Israel should avoid any miscalculation and consider the "harsh and regret-inducing" response Iran's armed forces would deliver to any threat or aggression.
Marking Khamenei's funeral, Abdollahi said the late leader had strengthened Iran's deterrence through missile and drone development, scientific progress and national security efforts. He claimed that enemies with superior weapons had repeatedly paid a heavy price in past conflicts with Iran.
He called for a large public turnout at the funeral, describing it as a display of national unity and reaffirmed the armed forces' commitment to defending Iran's independence and territorial integrity. He also pledged loyalty to Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei.
Funeral processions begin July 4 in Tehran, with additional ceremonies in Qom and Iraq before burial in Mashhad on July 9. Iranian authorities have announced heightened security and temporary airspace restrictions over several cities during this period.
The warning follows similar remarks Wednesday by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran's current Supreme Leader was "marked for death."
