TEHRAN – Former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezaei has warned if the United States launches an attack on Iran, the Islamic Republic will strike back and, in that situation, there will be not ceasefire with the U.S.

Following the recent unrest in Iran, President Donald Trump on January 2 wrote on his Truth Social, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go” if Iran counters the rioters.  On January 17, Trump also told Politico, “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.”

“Trump is seeking an attack and short war against Iran and thinks that he can start a war and, after a short time, request a ceasefire, and we accept it,” Rezaei said.

Rezaei, who was the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps during Iraq’s war against Iran in the 1980s, cited an example, saying during the eight-year war while five Iranian provinces had been captured by the Saddam Army, Iran succeeded to liberate 90 percent of its lands in a nine-month time, but Iran refused to accept ceasefire despite repeated pleas by the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

He said this experience is not just a memory of the war but an example of the “national will” against invaders and shows that the short war that the Trump administration officials might formulate in their minds “is not realizable.”

He also said the United States realized during the 12-Day War against Iran in June 2025 that “a direct raid” cannot disrupt Iran’s security structure.

After the June war, the Americans changed their tactics and decided to intensify economic sanctions and put pressure on the European trio of Britain, France, and Germany to trigger the snapback mechanism to officially return the sanctions lifted under the JCPOA.

In late spring last year, Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran that was later joined by the United States. However, facing Iran’s missile raids on Israel’s important cities and military sites, they offered a ceasefire.