Australia has called for its citizens to leave Iran on Wednesday amid the ongoing violent protests — as Tehran’s top Iran’s military chief threatened preemptive military action over President Trump’s threats against its regime.
The nation urged its citizens to leave Iran “as soon as possible” and to avoid travel to the Islamic Republic altogether, citing the “ongoing violent nationwide protests that may further escalate without notice.”
The order came after Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami warned that Iran would not stay quiet after Trump claimed that the US would launch military action if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters” spurred by the country’s ailing economy.
“The Islamic Republic considers the intensification of such rhetoric against the Iranian nation as a threat and will not leave its continuation without a response,” Hatami said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
“I can say with confidence that today the readiness of Iran’s armed forces is far greater than before the war,” he added, referencing the 12-day war last summer that saw the US and Israel bomb Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
“If the enemy commits an error, it will face a more decisive response, and we will cut off the hand of any aggressor,” Hatami concluded.
The general’s remarks were the latest taking aim at Trump over his comments against Tehran following the bold military operation that seized Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, a longtime ally of Tehran, last week.
Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that he would not yield to Trump, vowing to put the nation’s protesters “in their place.”
US Sen. Lindsey Graham went a step further with the threats against Tehran on Tuesday night, telling Fox News’ “Hannity” that the US would directly target Khamenei if his attempts at suppressing protesters escalated.
“To the people of Iran, we stand with you tonight,” Graham said. “We stand for you taking back your country from the Ayatollah, a religious Nazi who kills you and terrorizes the world.”
“And to the Ayatollah: You need to understand, if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J. Trump is gonna kill you,” he added.
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