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Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday ordered the armed forces to meet any threat with an "immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response,” and to update Iran’s target list to include all U.S. and Israeli assets, according to a statement from his office.
"If the enemies once again launch military or terrorist attacks, it is the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation that will determine the time and conditions for ending them," the written statement quoted Khamenei as saying.
The remarks came in a reported meeting with senior commanders, including armed forces chief of staff Ali Abdollahi, army chief Amir Hatami and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Ahmad Vahidi, the first such reported meeting.
Khamenei has not been seen in public since becoming supreme leader after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes at the start of the war in February.
Khamenei ordered that the "target bank" be updated so that "all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy" are within range of the armed forces, the statement said.
He described "smart combat readiness" as a requirement of "maximum deterrence" and called for strengthening military intelligence, deepening indigenous defense in doctrine and tactics, using new technologies and boosting financial support for the armed forces.
Khamenei also described the "unity of fronts" among allied groups in the region as a decisive variable in shaping a new political and security order in West Asia.
The commanders briefed Khamenei on readiness along the Persian Gulf coast, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and the country’s northwestern and southeastern borders, and reported a "multiple-fold" increase in production of munitions and reconnaissance, support and combat weapons, according to the statement.
Separately, Iranian state television said two fishermen reported missing after what it called a U.S. attack on fishing boats near Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz had been found. Iranian media identified them as a father and son, Mohammad and Mahmoud Panjeh, and said they were returning to the island.
A Hormozgan province official earlier said the attack wounded at least one fisherman.
There was no immediate U.S. confirmation.
The statement came as Qatari mediators pushed to revive U.S.-Iran talks.
A Qatari delegation visited Tehran on Friday after Iran reportedly received a letter from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, to which Tehran has yet to respond, according to Iranian media.
The U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, and Mojtaba Khamenei’s order comes amid threats of renewed attacks after the U.S. midterm elections.
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