Emphasizing that Iran is currently at a high level of defense and military readiness and is monitoring enemy movements in the region, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army stated: “They are completely under our surveillance, and because we are aware of their malicious intentions, our finger is on the trigger; if they make a mistake, they will undoubtedly jeopardize their own security, their soldiers, the region, and the criminal Zionist regime.”
Tehran – IranView24
Major General Amir Hatami, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, spoke on Saturday morning—January 31, 2026 (11 Bahman 1404)—at the closing ceremony of the 18th National Youth Soldier Festival held at the Almas Complex in Tehran. Congratulating the birth anniversary of Hazrat Ali Akbar (AS) and Youth Day, he referred to the enemy’s designs against the country, stating: “This ceremony is held at a time when we have passed the 12-day war, after which we have constantly faced the malice and hostilities of the wicked enemy of dear Iran, the Islamic Republic system, and the great Iranian nation.”
He added: “Today, we value all those who wear the uniform to defend the country, the lives, honor, and property of the people, and the uniform to defend the Islamic Republic, national security, and the achievements of the Revolution across all armed forces even more, and they are especially respected by the Iranian nation. Our dear people saw that wicked enemies, if given the opportunity, would abuse it to strike the country, independence, territorial integrity, the Islamic Republic system, and the Iranian nation.”
The Army Commander-in-Chief stated: “In this war, we witnessed many important and special points. The enemy had announced serious plans; first, they said they wanted to completely destroy your nuclear capabilities, including dear scientists, nuclear infrastructure, and all nuclear facilities. Then they said they wanted to destroy your defense capabilities, primarily the missile power of the Islamic Republic of Iran—which is a thorn in the eyes of the enemies—and to achieve this, they claimed the commanders of the Air Defense and Air Force must be harmed. They said they had planned for this for 18 years, but I say they lied; not 18 years, but nearly 50 years of planning. From the day of the Revolution’s victory when they sanctioned us, they began their planning. The first sanctions were defense and military sanctions, and they imagined they could commit such a mistake back then, but they were wrong; they made both a miscalculation and a wrong decision.”
Major General Hatami emphasized: “Today, the science and technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot be destroyed, even if scientists and children of this nation are martyred. As long as there are Iranian youth, Iranian scientists, universities, and Iranian scientific and knowledge-based centers, this scientific authority exists. The military power of the Islamic Republic of Iran is an indigenous power that cannot be destroyed because they have threatened and sanctioned us for 50 years. By God’s grace, today, without a doubt, our missile and air defense powers, as well as other dimensions of our defense power, are in a superior and higher position compared to before the 12-day imposed war and undoubtedly possess better quality because we gained unique insight during the war.”
He continued: “Even Russia, which has been involved with the NATO countries for more than 3 years today, does not have our 12-day experience. We engaged with and touched all the enemy’s science, technology, and hybrid warfare; we recognized their weaknesses and strengths as well as our own, and today we are prepared differently. Our defense power cannot be destroyed. They martyred our commanders, but they saw that the powerful Commander-in-Chief [the Supreme Leader] immediately appointed new commanders, and this action carried the message that this act [assassinating military commanders] is ineffective. Iran and the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are filled, back-to-back, with generals, commanders, officers, and soldiers who will defend the country until the last moment, and we saw that these commanders were replaced and continued the war to the end.”
Addressing the enemies, the Army Commander stated: “In the 12-day imposed war, you damaged our air defense, air force, and other defense sectors, but today all have returned to a point of superiority compared to that day. With a wrong calculation and assumption, you thought that through the false information given to you by four mercenary and foreign-based anti-revolutionary members, the people—who have troubles, a large part of which you created—would be fooled by you, but you saw that you received a heavy blow. The people defended the territorial integrity of dear Iran, the country’s independence, and their Islamic Republic system—which is the most important guardian of the country’s territorial integrity—with all their might; and you begged for a ceasefire and left.”
Hatami emphasized that “we know your malice and enmity continue,” adding: “We knew you wanted to exploit our natural internal issues and do the opposite of what you did in the 12-day war, where you thought you should first bomb and then create insecurity. But again, you made a mistake and committed a great betrayal against the Iranian nation because you issued an order for ‘killing-making’ (casuistry of death) and told the mercenaries you had trained and armed that if they kill the Iranian nation, we will come to your support. But the Iranian nation immediately understood your plan; although we again lost dear lives and offered them in defense of the country, the system, and independence. You brought them with deception, took cover behind them, and fired at security forces with the plan that if you fired at security forces, a conflict would naturally form and the people would be killed. You did this, and unfortunately, a number of innocent and pure lives were martyred and lost, and of course, a number of mercenaries were also perished, but the dear nation of Iran again gave you a crushing response on January 12 (22 Dey).”
Stating that “this war continues today,” he said: “Our wicked enemy, as they have designed plans against our country for the past 50 years, will not rest. There is only one way, and that is for the enemy to become despondent about being able to do anything against our country. This despondency occurs when we achieve a power that makes the enemy know if they encroach, they will suffer serious harm; the prerequisite for this is unity, cohesion, empathy, and the cooperation of all of us.”
The Army Commander noted: “Today, the enthusiastic presence of soldiers across the country carries this message for the enemies: that we know we must build our country and we know our country has significant problems, part of which were created by enemies. Part of it is also on us; like all nations, we must solve our issues, but undoubtedly these matters are separate from the enemy’s account, and the enthusiastic presence of soldiers gives the message to the enemy that we are ready for defense.”
Major General Hatami, referring to the enemy’s plans for implementing various dimensions of hybrid warfare, said: “It seems that today we are involved in a cognitive war as a large part of the enemy’s hybrid warfare. By using cyberspace and media, they seek to create a rift among the ranks of the nation. With the ‘Big Lie,’ they issued the order for ‘killing-making’ and attacking the nation, took the dear lives of our people, and led them to the slaughterhouse, and today, with total audacity, they seek to level accusations against the Islamic Republic in cyberspace. This is a big lie and part of the hybrid, cognitive, and media war they have launched against the nation.”
Stating that “the enemy’s intention can be understood with a simple question,” he said: “They say we are not seeking to partition your country, but they lie. The simple question is: if you are not seeking to partition our country, why is your entire infantry composed of separatists? Anti-revolutionary groups in the northwest and southeast of our country generally, consciously, and loudly say that we are seeking autonomy and the partition of the country.”
He continued: “The enemy’s ultimate intention is the partition of our dear Iran, and they know the Islamic Republic system is the most important guardian of the country’s territorial integrity because over the past 200 years, whenever the ruling system was weak, the country was partitioned. The Islamic Republic is the only system in the past 200 years that, despite 8 years of imposed war, did not allow the partition of even an inch of the country’s soil. They harbor a grudge against the Islamic Republic because they know it is the most important obstacle to partitioning the country, and to partition the country and damage its independence, they must first damage the Islamic Republic system, but they are gravely mistaken.”
The Army Commander-in-Chief, emphasizing that “today we are in high defense and military readiness and are monitoring the enemy’s movements in the region,” said: “They are completely under our surveillance, and because we are aware of their malicious intentions, our finger is on the trigger; if they make a mistake, they will undoubtedly jeopardize their own security, their soldiers, the region, and the criminal Zionist regime. Fortunately, our dear neighbors and regional countries have declared one by one that they will not allow the misuse of their land and airspace. This intelligence of our dear neighbors is worthy of appreciation; they know that if the Americans, deceived by the criminal Prime Minister of the Zionist regime, endanger their soldiers and take action against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all countries in the region will face insecurity.”
Major General Hatami, stating that “we are undoubtedly the most peace-seeking ruling system in the region,” remarked: “A look at the past shows that we have not attacked any country, but they have come here from the other side of the world and threaten us, imagining it is possible to threaten a dear, proud, and great nation like the Iranian nation. They are wrong because they are needlessly sacrificing their security for the security of the criminal Zionist regime. They should not repeat this mistake because the Iranian nation is a dear and great nation that has devoted soldiers and war-experienced commanders and will respond to the enemy. If they want—and they should want—to solve a problem, they must treat the great and proud nation of Iran with respect; this is the demand of all soldiers, commanders, and the dear nation of Iran.”
Stating that “the presence of soldiers also carries a message for the dear nation of Iran,” he noted: “The enemy tries to act in a way through the chaotic environment and fitna (sedition) they establish so that we cannot make decisions for work inside the country. The message of the soldiers’ presence to the dear people is that we are soldiers and we monitor and follow the enemy; you should live your lives, and wherever we need support, as always, we will extend our hand only to you, and you will certainly support your children and soldiers in the armed forces and the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran as in the past. But until then, you must live and not allow the enemy to disrupt the order of life inside the country by creating a foggy atmosphere and doubt.”
The Commander-in-Chief of the Army concluded: “God willing, with cohesion, heart-felt unity, coordination, and enemy-recognition, we will neutralize all the plans of the wicked enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran and will pass through these periods with pride.”
