TEHRAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian military commander warned the United States and Israel on Thursday against what he described as any miscalculation, saying Iran's forces had their "finger on the trigger."
Mohammad Pakpour, chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said Washington and Tel Aviv should "draw lessons from historical experiences" and "refrain from any miscalculation" to avoid a "more painful and regret-inducing fate."
Pakpour said Iran's armed forces were "more prepared than ever" to carry out orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He made the remarks in a message marking Iran's national Soldier Day, carried by the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News.
The United States has been issuing ambiguous threats of possible military interference during the December-January protests, while U.S. President Donald Trump has called for "new leadership" in Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said earlier this week that U.S. threats against Iran "gave plotters an incentive" to pursue what he described as a strategy of "maximum bloodshed."
He also said that while Iran "will always choose peace over war," if the country faced new attacks, "our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have," citing a contrast with the "restraint" Iran showed in June 2025.
Protests erupted across Iran last month over economic grievances before taking on a political dimension and turning violent, leading to casualties and widespread damage to public property, mosques, government buildings and banks. Iranian authorities have blamed the United States and Israel for inciting the unrest.
State television IRIB reported on Wednesday that 3,117 people were killed during the unrest, citing Iran's Forensic Medical Organization, which said 2,427 of the dead were classified as "innocent civilians and security forces." ■
