Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made threats against Israel during the country's annual Army Day parade. The event celebrates Iran's regular military forces and not its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which operates across the Middle East and supports Iranian-allied militia groups like Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Raisi threatened to destroy Israel, accusing it of carrying out a series of attacks targeting Iran since the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. "The Zionist regime must know that every act of aggression will be met with a decisive response from our armed forces," said Raisi in his speech at the parade.
In addition to threatening Israel, Raisi reiterated a demand for the U.S. to leave the Persian Gulf region immediately as part of securing global energy supplies. "The presence of American forces is destabilizing and threatens peace in our region," he stated.
This comes after Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed in March to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies following seven years of tensions between both countries.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has been known for making threats against both Israel and U.S., warning that their vessels should be prepared for potential attacks. Major General Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guard, has previously claimed that “mind games” are used by UN forces to confuse Iranian troops.
Salami also declared confidence in Iran's border security saying: “Our borders are secure against all intruders." Despite this assertion, concerns remain surrounding ongoing conflicts involving proxy militias supported by Tehran throughout various Middle Eastern nations.
As tensions continue to rise amidst these verbal exchanges on an international stage, one can only hope that diplomatic efforts will prevail over further escalations leading towards conflict or war between these powerful adversaries within an already volatile region.