Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran’s armed forces warned on Wednesday that Tehran will retaliate for recent US and Israeli strikes on residential areas, as tensions between the sides intensify.

Armed forces spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi, in remarks carried by Defa Press, a media outlet affiliated with the Iranian military, stated that Iran “will not remain passive” in response to attacks on its territory. He also urged regional states and Muslim communities to identify locations hosting American and Israeli personnel, arguing that such information could improve the accuracy of Iranian operations, while limiting civilian harm, which he accused the opposing side of causing by using civilians as “human shields.”

His comments came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that Tuesday would witness the most intense air campaign against Iran since the start of operations, involving the largest deployment of fighter jets and bombers used so far.

The United States and Israel launched a series of strikes on Iranian targets on February 28, causing extensive damage, civilian casualties, and the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several senior commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran responded with retaliatory actions that affected multiple countries across the region, including Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.