The commander-in-chief of Iran’s army has threatened to take preemptive military action following President Donald Trump’s warning last week that the U.S. military is “ready to go” if the Iranian government shoots and kills protesters amid the massive wave of protests currently being held against the Iranian regime.
The Associated Press reported that Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, the commander of Iran’s army, appeared to respond to Trump’s warning last week by threatening that Iran will respond to continued “rhetoric” and would “cut off the hand of any aggressor.”
Last Friday, Trump issued a bold warning to Iran in a statement on Truth Social, saying, “If Iran [shoots] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The president doubled down on his warning to Iran in comments to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. Trump explained that his administration was “very closely” watching the ongoing protests in Iran and the Iranian regime’s response to the protests.
READ MORE: Video: Trump warns Iran US is ‘ready to go’ if they kill protesters
Trump told reporters, “If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States.”
In an apparent response to Trump’s comments regarding potential U.S. military involvement in Iran, Hatami said, “The Islamic Republic considers the intensification of such rhetoric against the Iranian nation as a threat and will not leave its continuation without a response.”
“I can say with confidence that today the readiness of Iran’s armed forces is far greater than before the war,” the Iranian military leader added. “If the enemy commits an error, it will face a more decisive response, and we will cut off the hand of any aggressor.”
According to The Associated Press, the Human Rights Activists News Agency confirmed that over 340 protests had taken place across Iran as of Thursday. The agency also noted that at least 38 Iranian protesters have been killed, and over 2,200 Iranians have been arrested.