TEHRAN -- The IRGC chief says Iran will resume its retaliatory war against the invaders from where it left off in the event of further aggression, emphasizing full preparedness of the Islamic Republic to strike the enemy once again.
Major General Muhammad Pakpour, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) chief commander, made the remarks during a meeting with Iran’s Army Chief Major General Amir Hatami on Thursday, emphasizing that IRGC’s morale is at its highest level.
“The armed forces are in full readiness and coordination to repeat a strike against the enemy,” Pakpour stressed.
He touched on Iran’s 12-day response to the U.S. and Israeli aggression, noting that the Armed Forces managed to neutralize the toughest and most complex war and sedition in Iran’s history with “the heroic support of the nation.”
On June 13, Israel launched a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression against Iran, assassinating many high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians. More than a week later, the U.S. entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites.
In response, hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones overwhelmed Israeli air defenses and struck key military, intelligence, industrial, energy, and R&D facilities across the occupied Palestinian territories.
Iran’s Armed Forces also launched a ballistic missile attack against the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.
“The will and dignity of the Iranian people and the armed forces have prevailed. We all stand together. Beloved Iran has never been defeated in confrontation with its enemies,” the IRGC chief said. “In the final days of the war, the Israelis saw the promised hell with their own eyes.”
“We will not let the aggressors and invaders off the hook. We will resume the war and battle against the invaders exactly from where it was left off,” Pakpour stressed.
Major General Hatami, for his part, condemned the Israeli regime for being the main threat to peace and security in West Asia.  
“The evil Zionist regime is a threat to peace and security in the region and the world, and an enemy of Muslims. If given the chance, it will also invade other countries in the region,” he stressed. 
“We pledge that, God willing, the Army and the IRGC will stand side by side and hand in hand—as a divine army—to work for the elevation of Iran’s proud flag and the security and power of Islamic Iran,” Hatami added.
On June 24, the isolated Israeli regime, with U.S. President Donald Trump announcing on its behalf, declared a unilateral ceasefire. This came after Iran, through effective retaliatory actions against both Israel and the U.S., succeeded in forcing an end to the unlawful aggression.
Iran’s top military official on Friday praised the country’s air defense units, warning that the units will make any aggressor regret any potential attack against Iranian soil. 
Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, visited the national air defense headquarters, where he honored the “martyrs, wounded, and war veterans” of the recent aggression and expressed gratitude to all air defense personnel for their service.
“Air defense, standing on the front line of our sky’s protection, has proven its ability to withstand all levels of threats and to make the enemies of the Iranian nation regret their miscalculations,” he said.
Mousavi added that the downing of a large number of enemy aircraft demonstrated not

 only Iran’s operational strength but also the determination and courage of its air defense forces.
“The sheer number of hostile aerial targets shot down demonstrates the capability, willpower, and bravery of our air defense warriors. This will be remembered in the collective memory of the Iranian people,” he said.
The top commander attributed this resilience to a combination of factors. 
“This capability, determination, resistance, and courage stem from unwavering faith, national pride, the wise and unmatched leadership of the Islamic Revolution Leader, and the unity and unwavering support of the Iranian people.”
“If the enemy ever dares to attack our beloved country again, with God’s help, it will be met with even harsher blows and suffer a greater defeat than before,” he stressed.
He also pointed to the need to keep pace with evolving threats, calling for continuous updates and modernization of defense systems, along with innovation, agility, and reliance on domestic scientific and technological capacity.