Iran has warned the United States and Israel against launching any military action as the country prepares for the state funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in airstrikes on the opening day of the recent conflict.
Ali Abdollahi, commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said on Thursday that any attack on Iran would trigger a severe response from the country’s armed forces.
“We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel), against any miscalculation,” Abdollahi said in a statement carried by Iranian state media. He added that any threat or aggression would be met with “harsh retaliation.”
According to Iranian authorities, funeral ceremonies for Khamenei will begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with his burial in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9. Additional commemorative events are scheduled in the holy city of Qom and in Iraq during the mourning period.
The warning follows remarks by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Wednesday, who vowed an “immediate and powerful” response to any threat against Iran’s people or leadership after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz reportedly said Iran’s current Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was “marked for death.”
Iranian media also reported heightened security measures nationwide. The head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation announced temporary airspace restrictions over Tehran, Mashhad and several other cities during the funeral period.
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