Iran’s Raisi Issues Threat against Israel on Army Day

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated threats against Israel during a ceremony marking the Islamic Republic’s annual Army Day celebrating the country’s regular military.

Raisi made the comments on April 18 as fighter jets and helicopters flew overhead in Tehran during a ceremony carried live by state television.

“Enemies, particularly the Zionist regime, have received the message that any tiny action against [our] country will prompt a harsh answer from the armed forces, which will accompany the destruction of Haifa and Tel Aviv,” he said.

Iran’s arch-foe Israel is suspected of carrying out a series of attacks targeting the country since the collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The US State Department reports that the Islamic Republic provides some $100 million a year to Palestinian armed groups.

In his speech, Raisi reiterated a demand for the United States to leave the Middle East. US policy views protecting the Persian Gulf region as crucial to securing global energy supplies. 

The Iranian president also offered an olive branch in his remarks, saying, “The hand of our armed forces warmly shakes the hand of the regional nations that intend to create security in the region.”

He did not specifically name regional rival Saudi Arabia, which reached a diplomatic agreement with Iran in March to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after years of tensions.