Iran warns: it is prepared to strike first if necessary

Iran could carry out preemptive operations against the United States if necessary, stated Iranian military spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia.

According to the senior military official, Tehran has already conducted such offensives against a U.S. base in Jordan and against separatist bases, including those in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, where the opposition was stockpiling weapons supplied by U.S. President Donald Trump. "And it wrested the initiative from them, and you saw that they were unable to take any action," he added.

 Furthermore, during the escalation in July, the Islamic Republic used drones to attack a U.S. base that was planning to strike its territory. However, it did not specify the location of the facility.

"Article 51 of the United Nations Charter recognizes the right to self-defense, and the preemptive operation was carried out within that framework. And now, should it become necessary, we will conduct preemptive operations in the future to deter the enemy from committing any type of aggression or attack," he noted.

 At the same time, Iran has increased its production capacity for weapons and defense equipment by two and a half times over the past seven months, compared to the period prior to the war launched against the country by the United States and Israel in late February, Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Reza Talei-Nik stated on Tuesday. In this regard, he warned that any new U.S.-Israeli aggression or threat would be met with a "decisive response" and would lead to "even more crushing defeats."