TEHRAN – The commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has promised an inconceivable response to Israel’s recent attack against Iran – a response that he says would be a reminder of Tehran’s military capabilities and resolve. 

In a speech in Iran’s southern province of Fars on Thursday, Major General Hossein Salami vowed an ‘unimaginable response’ to Israel’s recent aggression on Iranian soil. 

Salami called attention to the “erroneous belief” held by Israelis that they could change Iran's “historical trajectory” merely by launching a few missiles. 

"Have you forgotten how Iranian missiles incapacitated your air-defense systems in Operation True Promise II, leading to anxiety and restlessness among your population?" 

On October 1, Iran launched around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and IRGC General Nilforoushan. The operation, named ‘True Promise II,’ successfully targeted military and intelligence bases across the occupied Palestinian territories, representing Iran's second direct response to Israel since its first such operation in April. 

Less than a month after Iran's act of self-defense, the Israeli military violated Iraqi airspace on October 26 in an attempt to strike Iranian military installations. The attack resulted in minor damage to some radar sites and led to the martyrdom of four Army personnel and one civilian. 

The IRGC chief also highlighted the regime's repeated miscalculations and “looming decline”, stating, "You lack any foundation [in Palestine] and will ultimately face collapse." 

Salami's deputy, Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, affirmed in a statement to Al Mayadeen that Iran's reaction to any Israeli aggression is "inevitable," stressing, "For over 40 years, we have never left any attack unanswered." 

Fadavi also stated that Iran is capable of targeting all of Israel's military assets in a single operation. 

The emphatic statements from Iran's senior commanders have captured the attention of both Israelis and Americans. 

According to CNN, Israel is currently on a "high level of readiness" in expectation of a response from Iran. This comes after another CNN source indicated that Iran is poised to deliver a "definitive and painful" retaliation to the regime's aggression, possibly occurring before the upcoming U.S. presidential election. 

Additionally, Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder told reporters on Tuesday that the US must be ready for all possibilities. "If Iran takes any action against Israel, we are committed to defending Israel," the spokesperson added. 

Since October 2023, West Asia has experienced ongoing Israeli violence, which has so far ravaged Gaza, displaced a large segment of Lebanon's population, and led to more than 46,000 civilian casualties.