Iran escalates threats against US military bases: Iranian officer warns US not to ‘throw stones in glass house’

Iran and the U.S. continued threatening each other, as tensions over the Trump administration’s push to reach an agreement over the Iranian nuclear program appear to be coming to a head.

Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump issued his most violent threat, saying that if the two nations fail to reach an agreement, “there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”

Last month, Trump reportedly sent a letter to the regime and proposed starting new nuclear talks, while threatening military action if the talks failed to reach a quick conclusion within two months.

Trump's most recent comment sparked outraged responses from several Iranian officials.

Holding a rifle during a televised speech marking the end of Ramadan, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said, “They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow.”

“If the enemies think they can instigate sedition within the country, the Iranian nation itself will respond to them,” he added.

Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Aerospace Division of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), directly threatened U.S. bases in the Middle East.

“The Americans have at least 10 bases with 50,000 troops in the region, meaning they are sitting in a glass room. Someone in a glasshouse should not throw stones at anyone,” he added.

This followed a report by The Telegraph that Iranian military officials have been calling for a preemptive strike on the U.S. base on Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean.

According to the Associated Press, in the past several days at least seven B-2 bombers were deployed to the base, which is about 3,800 kilometers (2,300 miles) from the Iranian border. Reports suggested the base could be used by the U.S. in the case of a military operation to destroy the regime’s nuclear sites.

“Discussions about the island have increased since the Americans stationed bombers there,” Iranian officials said. “The response to Trump's threats must come through action, not words. Every base in the region is within the range of our missiles.”

Tamir Hayman, the director of Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and former IDF intelligence chief, estimated that “the escalation in the Persian Gulf is increasing.”

Writing on 𝕏, Hayman warned, “The threats are escalating and the next two months are critical, between negotiations and an American or Israeli attack.”

In recent days, the threats by the regime and the military were echoed by Iranian state media as well.

The Tehran Times recently published a report claiming that Iran is ready to launch missiles against U.S. bases in the region. “A significant number of these missiles, ready for launch, are located in underground facilities scattered across the country, designed to withstand aerial attacks,” the newspaper wrote.

Iran has also used diplomatic channels to protest against Trump’s statements. The regime reportedly filed a complaint with the Swiss embassy in Tehran, which represents U.S. interests in the country.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared: “The explicit threat of bombing Iran by the head of a country is clear contradiction to the essence of international peace and security. Such a threat is a gross violation of the United Nations charter and a violation of the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards regime. Violence brings violence and peace creates peace, America can choose.”

Amid the recent escalation, several Iranian officials have even begun discussing the building of a nuclear weapon more explicitly than before.

Last week, U.S. director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard assessed that the regime is not currently working on a nuclear weapon but added that public discussions of the issue, long a taboo, are now increasing.

Accordingly, Khamenei’s senior advisor, Ali Larijani, said on Monday that U.S. military action would “force Iran to move toward nuclear weapons because it must defend itself,” according to Iran International.

"Iran does not want to take this path, but when you apply pressure, it finds a secondary justification and has no other choice. The people will push for it, arguing that it is necessary for the country’s security."