TEHRAN – The commander of the Iranian Army (Artesh) says the military is closely monitoring all movements by the enemy and will firmly respond to any act of mischief. Major General Amir Hatami made the remarks while inspecting Army units in western Iran.

The top general touched upon the combat readiness of Army units, saying servicemembers along the borders have high spirits and their “equipment and facilities are proportionate to the experiences gained from the 12-day [Israeli] imposed war [on Iran].”

On June 13, Israel launched a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression against Iran, triggering a 12-day war that killed at least 1,064 people in the country, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians. The United States also entered the war directly by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of international law.

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.

During his Monday inspection, General Hatami touched upon Iran’s downing of enemy drones in the west of the country during the Israeli war. “During the 12-day imposed war, the enemy’s first modern Heron drones entered the Iranian space, and was hit by air defense systems as soon as it crossed the border,” he noted. He underlined the Army has always tried to boost its preparedness to counter asymmetrical and irregular threats.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the top commander touched upon the special status of the Army’s Aviation Unit, which, as he explained, is tasked with supporting other Army units.

His remarks come as the West, including the U.S., continues to threaten Iran and make excessive demands, asking Iran to decrease its missile range in exchange for sanctions being lifted—a demand all Iranian officials have rejected.

Addressing a graduation ceremony of IRGC cadets on Sunday, Chairman of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Abdurrahim Mousavi said “our final choice is to tread the path of resistance and becoming stronger, which is the way to our dignity.”