Shafaq News– Tehran

Iran will respond with a “comprehensive, firm, and painful” reaction to any potential military attack, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei declared on Monday, noting that the country is more prepared than ever, relying solely on its domestic capabilities and past experiences.

At a press conference, Baqaei criticized the daily threats and “baseless claims” from the United States and Israel, adding that regional states understand insecurity is “contagious” and that its effects will extend beyond Iran’s borders.

Stressing that private message exchanges cannot substitute for diplomacy, he argued that diplomatic efforts remain insufficient without security guarantees or legal backing.

On relations with Iraq, he pointed out that Tehran sees the growing ties between Iran and Baghdad as a concern for Washington, and that Iraq alone has the authority to determine its own future.

The remarks come amid Israeli media reports suggesting that Israel anticipates possible US military action against Iran and is preparing for retaliation from Tehran, although US President Donald Trump has not announced a final decision. Trump previously confirmed the movement of a “massive fleet” toward the region amid rising warnings over Iran’s response to protests that erupted in December 2025. While tensions have eased recently, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) estimated more than 5,000 deaths and tens of thousands of arrests, figures that remain difficult to verify due to prolonged internet disruptions.

Iran has warned that any US strike, limited or extensive, would be treated as an “all-out war” and met with a full response. Meanwhile, Iran-backed armed group Kataib Hezbollah called on its fighters to prepare for the “comprehensive war” in support of Tehran against the “Zionists [Israel] of the earth.”

Read more: Washington holds back: Calculated pressure, not war, shapes US policy toward Iran