TEHRAN – In a provocative interview with Politico on Wednesday, the Israeli regime’s Foreign Minister Gidon Sa’ar accused Iran of advancing its nuclear program to a “dangerous” threshold, hinting that “military action” might be required.

Sa’ar alleged that Iran has enriched uranium sufficient for "a couple of bombs" and is actively "playing with ways" to develop nuclear weapons.

"So, we don’t have much time," he said, before claiming that diplomatic efforts were unlikely to succeed, with the odds of a peaceful resolution "not huge."

He stressed the importance of a "reliable military option" to curb Iran’s alleged ambitions, cautioning that failure to act could spark a "nuclear race in the Middle East [West Asia] with Egypt, Saudis, Turkey."

Sa’ar also accused Iran of smuggling arms into the West Bank through Jordan to “destabilize” the area.

His remarks appear to align with the “declared promise” of his convicted war criminal boss, Benjamin Netanyahu, to "finish the job" of obstructing Iran's nuclear pursuits with U.S. President Donald Trump's assistance.

Shortly after taking office for the second time, Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM).

The NSPM reinstated the "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran and rolled out plans to further straddle the country’s economy. 

While it lacked explicit orders, the directive is expected to encourage more sanctions on shipping, insurance, and port sectors. The U.S. might also try to slash Iran’s oil revenue by threatening its customers.

In an interview following signing the directive, Trump claimed to profess a preference for negotiating with Iran rather than "bombing the hell out of it."

His chief security adviser, Mike Waltz, has more recently repeated the old overused U.S. mantra that "all options are on the table", insisting that Washington will accept nothing short of completely dismantling Tehran's nuclear capability.

Iranian officials have repeatedly condemned Israeli officials’ remarks as unfounded and inflammatory, noting them as a tactic to deflect attention from the regime’s own destabilizing actions in the region.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, turned the spotlight on Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal, criticizing its refusal to join international disarmament agreements.

Araghchi pointed out that Israel’s rejection of treaties like the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)—to which Iran remains a signatory—combined with its aggressive policies, constitutes the true threat to peace.

He reiterated Iran’s longstanding call for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in West Asia, a proposal first put forward by Tehran in 1974, which Tel Aviv has consistently blocked.

Similarly, Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani dismissed the Israeli regime’s accusations as baseless during a special session of the UN General Assembly in a formal letter to the UN Secretary-General and the Assembly President.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran explicitly and firmly rejects such baseless claims, which serve no purpose other than to divert the international community’s attention from the horrific crimes committed by this apartheid regime against the people of Palestine in the Gaza Strip," Iravani wrote.

‘Immeasurable inferno in the region,' Tehran’s non-capitulating stance

Iran has consistently reiterated that it does not seek conflict, yet it remains unyielding in defending itself against any aggression—a stance that unequivocally underscores Tehran’s commitment to preserving its sovereignty.

Major General Gholamali Rashid, Commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, underscored this determination during the Zolfaghar 1403 military exercise, stating: "We warn the Zionist regime and the U.S. that any threat against Iran’s national interests, enabled by America’s full support for Israel, will be met with decisive action by our armed forces."

He added that any aggression would trigger strikes on its origin and supporting bases.

General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, reinforced this message recently, declaring: "If Iran’s security is threatened, the security of the entire Southwest Asia region, the perpetrators of insecurity, and their supporters will be disrupted and will not see peace."

Bagheri highlighted Iran’s military preparedness, noting that the armed forces operate at peak readiness and that missile production continues "without interruption at very high quantity and quality."

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC Aerospace Division, issued a stern warning against attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, stating: "The fire we ignite in the region will be of unquantifiable scale and scope."

Cutting-edge military preparedness

Iran’s defensive readiness has been vividly demonstrated through a series of military exercises in recent months.

The Armed Forces recently concluded the Zolfaghar 1403 military maneuvers, a sweeping demonstration of the nation’s air defense prowess and ballistic missile sophistication.

Conducted across strategic zones spanning southern Iran, the Sea of Oman, and the northern Indian Ocean, the drills emphasized seamless coordination between the Iranian Army (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

These joint operations tested next-generation weaponry, smart precision-guided munitions, and cutting-edge cyber-electronic warfare systems, underscoring Tehran’s capacity to neutralize multifaceted threats.

Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, a key architect of the exercises in the Army, affirmed their goal to “fortify Iran’s deterrence and defensive resilience against evolving aerial, maritime, and terrestrial challenges.”

Complementing these efforts, Iran’s ballistic missile program continues to achieve milestones.
The country’s ballistic missile program features a range of powerful systems. The Shahab-3 and Sejjil missiles, with ranges up to 2,000 kilometers, enhance Iran's strategic reach.

The hypersonic Fattah missile, traveling over Mach 5 and maneuverable in flight, challenges existing missile defenses.

The Fateh series, including the Fateh-110 and Fateh-313, boasts precision and agility in short-range engagements. Additionally, Soumar and Hoveyzeh cruise missiles can evade radar detection.

Focused on indigenous production, Iran advances its missile technology despite sanctions.

These capabilities are based on real-world scenarios, building on Iran’s proven operational successes, including Operations True Promise I and II (2024), which delivered precise retaliatory strikes against the Israeli regime’s military targets using a combination of drones and ballistic missiles.

Further solidifying its preparedness, January saw the Great Prophet 19 war games mobilize 110,000 Basij volunteer forces in large-scale rapid-deployment drills across challenging terrains.

In tandem with its proactive military posture, Iran has elevated the security status of critical nuclear installations, deploying enhanced air-defense systems to deter potential aggressions, testing domestically built air-defense systems such as the Bavar-373, Mersad, 15-Khordad, Majid, and Monir.

These advanced systems are designed to counter a wide range of aerial threats, including stealth aircraft, drones, and ballistic missiles.

Together, these systems create a robust, multi-layered defense strategy, ensuring comprehensive protection for Iran's critical infrastructure.