TEHRAN – The commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami, declared that Iran stands fully prepared for any scenario and vowed that any aggressor would be "shattered."

Speaking at a Tuesday gathering in Iran’s northeastern Mashhad, Salami emphasized that Tehran is vigilantly tracking its adversaries while maintaining an unyielding stance, even as indirect nuclear negotiations continue.

“We know the enemy completely and are monitoring its movements. Even now, as political contacts and negotiations are underway, we stand with grandeur and firmness, and whoever dares to engage with Iran will be shattered,” he declared.

The commander’s comments come amid repeated U.S. threats of military action should indirect nuclear talks with Iran fail to produce outcomes that serve their interests.

Yet, Salami projected confidence, highlighting Iran’s bolstered military capabilities. “Iran’s power has developed many times over since last year,” he stated, adding that this growth is evident to the nation’s foes.

Resistance’s resilience shines through

Salami dismissed claims that the Resistance Front has been diminished by Israeli aggression. Instead, he pointed to recent developments as proof of its enduring strength.

“The enemies believed that the Resistance Front had been weakened, but they have seen that Gaza has grown stronger. Yemen is now striking more effectively with missiles, and Hezbollah has restored its power,” he said.

A striking example of this resilience emerged this week when Yemen’s Ansarallah movement launched a hypersonic ballistic missile at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on Wednesday. The attack, conducted in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, entered the occupied territories, forcing millions of Israelis into shelters and suspending air traffic for nearly an hour.

Similarly, on May 4, Yemen’s Armed Forces directly struck Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport after the regime’s air defense systems—including Arrow and THAAD—failed to intercept an advanced missile.

Since late 2023, the Yemeni Armed Forces have targeted the Israeli regime in response to its military campaign in Gaza, which has so far killed over 61,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Despite aggressive U.S. military operations under the Trump administration aimed at “eliminating the Houthis [Ansarallah]”—including a direct strike campaign lasting over a month—the group has endured, downing U.S. Reaper drones and sustaining pressure on the Israeli regime.

Salami pointed to Israel’s vulnerability and questioned the regime’s capacity to endure a larger onslaught. “Those who could not even withstand a single missile from Yemen’s Ansarullah, what will they do if they are faced with 600 missiles at once?” he remarked.

The IRGC chief painted a grim picture of the regime’s future. “Agitated and incensed, there is no bright horizon for it,” he said, noting that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a convicted war criminal haunted by the specter of arrest.

“Politically, Israel has completely collapsed, and even Europe is unwilling to maintain proper political relations with it. Economically, they are disintegrated, and without U.S. assistance, they wouldn’t last a day,” he added.

The U.S.’s waning power

Salami reserved equally sharp criticism for the United States, describing it as a nation in disarray.

“The U.S. knows engaging in wars has not resolved any of its problems; it is facing a decayed and exhausted military, beleaguered and powerless political leaders, and an overwhelming array of crises and challenges,” he asserted.

He further argued that changes in U.S. leadership, including Trump’s tenure, have done little to reverse this trajectory.

“The president of the United States initially came in like a bully to change the world, but now he is the one being changed and has failed in and retreated from all his plans,” Salami remarked.

Analysts note that Trump has struggled to deliver on key promises in his first 100 days, with efforts to end the Ukraine war, reform the economy, adjust tariffs, and address West Asian conflicts meeting significant setbacks or outright failure.