Senior Advisor of Iran's Supreme Leader warns of "full-scale invasion, annihilation" if US continues "war"

Senior Advisor of Iran's Supreme Leader warns of "full-scale invasion, annihilation" if US continues "war"

Tehran [Iran], July 18 : Senior military advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, Mohsen Rezaee, on Friday warned that Tehran could move beyond retaliatory strikes and launch what he described as a "full-scale invasion and annihilation" if the United States continues the ongoing conflict and military operation against the Islamic Republic following the collapse of the 14-point memorandum of understanding.

Rezaee, who is also a top official in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), issued the warning in a post on X, saying that both "diplomacy and negotiations" had ended and that further US military action could lead to a major escalation.

"Both diplomacy and negotiations, as well as war, are over; if America continues the war in the next 2-3 days, we will enter the stage of the enemy's 'full-scale invasion and annihilation'," Rezaee said.

He further warned that Iran would no longer limit its response to retaliatory actions if the conflict continued.

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"In the event of activating this strategy, we will no longer settle for retaliation in kind, and no political border will provide security against Iran's offensive forces," he added.

Rezaee's remarks come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, with both sides exchanging military threats and announcing strikes against each other's assets in the region.

The United States has said its operations against Iran are aimed at degrading Iranian military capabilities, while Iranian officials have warned of further responses against US forces and regional bases.

Rezaee's remarks mark one of the strongest warnings from a senior Iranian official in recent days, as tensions between Tehran and Washington escalate with both sides resuming an exchange of fire.

Meanwhile, US forces launched another round of military strikes against Iran, marking the seventh consecutive night of operations, as Washington said the campaign is aimed at further degrading Iran's military capabilities.

In a post on X, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, "CENTCOM launched a round of strikes against Iran at 3 p.m. ET today for the seventh consecutive night. The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief's direction."

As it happened, Iranian state media reported that three explosions were heard in Sirik, a city in Iran's Hormozgan Province.