Iran’s Defense Minister Warns of Widespread Retaliation if US or Israel Strikes

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh warned Sunday that any US attack on Iran would trigger a powerful retaliation, with American bases across the region targeted in response.

In a nationally televised interview that also showcased Iran’s new domestically produced missile, the Qassem Basir, Nasirzadeh declared: “If we are attacked or a war is imposed on us, we will respond with might.”

Nasirzadeh stressed that Iran would strike American interests and military installations without hesitation or restraint.

“We are not enemies of our neighboring countries—they are our brothers,” he added, “but American bases on their soil will be our targets.”

Nasirzadeh told Iranian national TV that the new solid-fueled missile offers improved maneuverability over previous models and is designed to evade advanced air defense systems, including THAAD, Patriot, and Israeli defenses. He stated that the missile has a range of 1,200 kilometers.

Last Monday, Defense Minister Nasirzadeh said Israel had become “a symbol of state terrorism.”

Aziz Nasirzadeh, 60, is an Iranian military officer and was appointed Defense Minister in August 2024. Before his current role, he was Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces from 2021 to 2024 and previously led the Iranian Air Force from 2018 to 2021, having also served as its Chief of Staff. A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, Nasirzadeh is a certified F-14 pilot. Although he completed his training by the end of the war in 1988, he did not see combat.

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