Iran vows 'several times greater' response to any strike

IRGC issues stern warning

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned on Saturday that any military action against the country would draw a response "several times greater" than the initial strike, stating that its armed forces maintained full readiness to respond to aggression. Spokesman Hossein Mohebbi dismissed recent "hostile rhetoric" as largely intended for media consumption, noting that those issuing threats lacked the capacity to mount effective operations under current regional conditions.

"They know better than anyone that, under the current circumstances, they cannot conduct an effective operation and certainly will not achieve their objectives," Mohebbi said. He added that any repetition of previous military action would end in defeat for the aggressor. "Even if the enemy makes a limited move, Iran's response will be several times greater, given the armed forces' existing readiness and operational plans," he noted, according to the Fars news agency.

Conflicting signals from Washington

US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said Washington could "absolutely" strike Iran as soon as this weekend, raising the prospect of renewed hostilities ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. "Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely," Barrack, who also serves as US special presidential envoy for Syria and Iraq, said in an interview, clips of which circulated online Friday. President Donald Trump appeared surprised when questioned by reporters about his envoy's remarks and whether he had reversed his position on holding off on possible strikes until after the elections.

"That was my ambassador?" Trump asked. "He's a pretty powerful man, I guess. Well if that's the case, I don't know anything about it," he added. US media has reported that Washington and Israel have developed coordinated plans to strike Iran following the midterm elections, while the US-Israeli war that began after February strikes has yet to be settled despite a ceasefire and memorandum to finalize a peace deal, primarily due to persistent differences over navigation rights in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.