TEHRAN – Iran’s Armed Forces chief on Tuesday gave a stark warning to the U.S., Israel and their regional allies, saying his country will enhance its military and intelligence activities and hold various drills to display its readiness.

“In recent months, the terrorist U.S. army has tried to make up for its absence, which has occurred after pulling out its aircraft and helicopter carriers and destroyers from the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman and had frightened its cohorts, by connecting the region usurped by the Zionist regime and its child-murdering army to CENTCOM,” Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said in a post on his account in an Iranian social media, Tasnim reported.

From Iran’s viewpoint such a development means that the espionage and operational capacities of the U.S. and its allies will be at the disposal of Israel as well, which would in turn add to the threats against Iran, General Baqeri warned.

“Apart from the written announcements and warnings and conveying messages via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the countries hosting the U.S. army, we have declared and continue to declare our preparedness and warnings by extending presence, expanding aerial and naval patrols, deepening the intelligence dominance, and holding various naval, missile and drone war games,” Baqeri stated.

The “constant” and “friendly advice” that Iran gives the neighboring states is that establishment of regional security requires fraternity and cooperation among the regional countries themselves without reliance on outsiders, he concluded.