Major General Amir Hatami, Chief of the Iranian Army, responded to what Tehran perceives as hostile statements from abroad, particularly U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that the United States is “locked and loaded” to act if Iranian forces violently suppress civilian protesters. Speaking to military academy students, Hatami framed such remarks as a direct threat to Iran’s national security, according to Fox News. He stated that the “intensification of such rhetoric against the Iranian nation… will not be left without a response,” highlighting that Iran’s military is now better prepared than in previous conflicts. “If the enemy makes a mistake, it will face a decisive response, and we will strike any aggressor,” he said, as reported by Fox News.

Hatami’s warning comes amid widespread domestic unrest fueled by economic difficulties, inflation, and public dissatisfaction with government policies, with protests spreading across much of Iran. Authorities have introduced limited economic measures, including new subsidies, but unrest has continued for over a week. Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, wrote to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, calling for condemnation of what he described as Trump’s “unlawful threats” against Tehran.

Additionally, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, cautioned that U.S. interference could lead to “chaos across the entire region and the destruction of American interests.” International concern is growing, with Australia advising its citizens to leave Iran immediately due to the heightened risk of escalation from both internal unrest and external threats, according to Fox News. Trump’s earlier statements on Truth Social, warning of U.S. intervention if Iranian forces harmed peaceful protesters, appear to have prompted Hatami’s remarks.