Iran Issues New Threat Against Israel and Rising Tensions

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – Iran has threatened to launch a “decisive strike” against Israel if what it calls “another mistake” is made, escalating regional tensions just days after a fifth round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and the United States concluded with little progress.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Iranian army chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi issued a stern warning to Israel, claiming the Jewish state is too weak to withstand Iran’s military strength. “The Zionist regime is too weak to harm the grandeur of Iran,” Mousavi declared. “Meanwhile, the power of the Islamic Republic can pose serious challenges to Israel and its backers.”

Mousavi alluded to a potential repeat of Iran’s October missile barrage against Israel, known in Tehran as “Operation True Promise.” “If they are in a hurry to receive another ‘True Promise,’ we are fully prepared to deliver the appropriate blow,” he said.

The inflammatory comments followed a post from Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemning Iran’s praise for a recent antisemitic shooting of Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.

The Iranian newspaper Kayhan, often seen as a mouthpiece for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, referred to the attacker as the “founder of the Washington Basij,” likening him to Iran’s own paramilitary force notorious for suppressing domestic dissent.

Iran openly calls for terror attacks against Israel on U.S. soil.

Kayhan, the mouthpiece of Supreme Leader Khamenei, praises the attack on Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC — one of whom was an American citizen — calling the killer the founder of the “Washington Basij,”… pic.twitter.com/B7oNaRCs1t

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 26, 2025

The exchange of threats came on the heels of yet another stalled round of nuclear talks in Rome. An Omani mediator described the U.S.-Iran discussions as yielding “limited progress.” Tehran continues to insist on preserving its uranium enrichment capabilities, a demand Washington has thus far refused to accept.

U.S. President Donald Trump has maintained a hardline stance since returning to office, pursuing a renewed “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at crippling Iran’s oil sector and blocking its path to nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Iran seeks relief from Western sanctions while continuing to claim its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his country’s red lines, saying Israel “will never allow the Islamic regime to acquire nuclear weapons.” In a press conference, he warned that Jerusalem retains the right to take military action if diplomacy fails: “Israel maintains the right to defend itself from a regime that is threatening to annihilate it.”

With diplomacy stalled and both sides openly discussing military options, the threat of direct confrontation between Israel and Iran continues to loom over the region.

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