Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, warned Israel that Iran is prepared for retaliation following Tehran's aerial barrage, while Israel's defense minister said that the upcoming strike would demonstrate Israel's might to the Islamic Republic.
Speaking on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting, Eslami said: “If the enemy makes even the slightest attack on our [nuclear] facilities, we will deliver a crushing response."
He told the cabinet that "our defense and security capabilities have always been prepared to confront such threats with vigilance".
Since at least 2010, Israel has allegedly conducted dozens of attacks inside Iran, targeting sensitive nuclear and military installations and carrying out assassinations of individuals deemed a threat.
The attacks became more frequent after July 2020, when a massive explosion occurred at the Natanz uranium enrichment site in central Iran, destroying one of the buildings.
In November that year, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a key figure in Iran’s nuclear program, was assassinated in a roadside attack near Tehran. Western and Israeli intelligence had long suspected Fakhrizadeh of being the architect of Iran’s covert nuclear weapons program.
Iran has long said its nuclear program is peaceful. The UN's nuclear chief, Rafael Grossi, said this year that Iran is "weeks not months" away from a nuclear weapon while a third of the UN's inspectors have been barred.
Eslami's latest warning comes as Israel prepares its retaliatory attack after the Islamic Republic launched 181 ballistic missiles towards Israel earlier this month.
The latest bombardment on Israel, the second this year, saw Iran target the likes of intelligence and military sites, with damage caused to civilian areas including a school.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Air Force crews at Hatzerim Air Base the counterattack would levy "a heavy price".
"After we attack Iran, everyone will understand your might," he said, in a video shared on X.
US President Joe Biden made clear that while he supports a retaliation, he will not support an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the country's military leadership, have since remained tight-lipped on the nature and timing of the retaliation.
The head of Iran's Passive Defense Organization, Gholamreza Jalali, lauded the escalating conflict between the Islamic Republic and its archenemy, Israel.
“This year, we are in a situation where the axis of resistance is engaging with the Zionist regime and its allies," he said. In the wake of the Gaza war, Israel is fighting threats from Iran's proxies around the region across its borders.
Additionally, Israel says it foiled five Iran-backed plots this month, with spy cells allegedly attempting high level assassinations on political, military and nuclear figures.
In a statement reported by the IRGC-affiliated news outlet Fars, he said that eight new defense plans have been devised and endorsed by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Jalali also discussed efforts to bolster Iran’s infrastructure against potential cyber-attacks and sabotage.
Referring to recent incidents including the explosions of Hezbollah pagers which saw at least 1,500 operatives in Iran's largest militia taken out of action, he noted that the Passive Defense Organization had taken steps to prevent similar attacks in Iran.
“Since last year, we have been insisting on the use of artificial intelligence to prevent such incidents within the country,” Jalali stated as the importance of defense against cyber attacks grows.
However, Iran remains vulnerable to hacking and cyber-attacks. In September, Iran's Cybersecurity Strategic Management Center issued a red alert for financial, monetary, and communication sectors, and an orange alert for other sectors.
"Organizations are advised to maintain round-the-clock availability of technical teams and rapid response units due to the potential for cyber attacks," a statement said.
Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping met Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian separately on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.
Both leaders framed their relations with Tehran as a central part of their effort to counter Western dominance and promote a multipolar world.
"The approaches of Russia and Iran to the global agenda are close or completely coincide," Putin said in a joint appearance, adding that both nations are united by "the desire to form a fair multipolar world order."
Xi also highlighted Iran's role in the unwritten alliance of American adversaries, saying, "the strategic significance of China-Iran relations has become more prominent", according to China's Xinhua news agency.
Western governments, particularly officials in the United States, see China, Russia, and Iran as adversaries. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, rising tensions between Iran and Israel, and the fate of Taiwan have added to the antagonism.
Strategic agreement
Pezeshkian echoed the sentiment with a blunter tone: "We have to disrupt the global domination that is (the West's) intention and be able to cooperate with each other in economy, politics, culture, science, and technical spheres," he said.
Both leaders hailed the strengthening of ties, promising they will become even stronger with the signing of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement.
The official signing may be due in Moscow between Putin and Pezeshkian after the BRICS summit in Kazan. However, the two sides have made similar promises on several occasions in the past, without the treaty being finalized.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had refused to comment earlier when asked whether that agreement will include mutual military assistance.
The summit is the first since Iran, Egypt and the UAE joined BRICS as full members – with the goal of reducing reliance on Western-dominated institutions like the IMF and World Bank.
With Iran facing significant economic challenges, Pezeshkian's appearance at the BRICS leaders' meeting will likely see him attempt to strengthen and further financial and trade ties.
Geopolitics
US and Western sanctions over accusations Iran sponsors terrorism have taken a toll on the country’s economy – trade between Iran and its largest trading partners has also declined further in 2023.
Iran’s main customer for oil, China, significantly reduced its purchases this year. Adding further to its strain, Tehran saw a 26% drop in trade with India, a 17% decline with Russia, and a 33% falloff with Turkey.
Ahead of the summit, Iran's central bank governor, Mohammad-Reza Farzin, revealed Tehran’s intent to join the BRICS-led New Development Bank. The move signals official efforts at development independent of the World Bank and other Western financial systems – a priority the central bank chief suggested would be central to discussions at the summit.
Iran’s focus will also be geopolitical, as the state braces for a promised Israeli attack after its own barrage of missiles into Israel on October 1.
Given Iran's support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, Pezeshkian may seize this opportunity to seek assurances for advanced weapons, such as long-range air defense systems and fighter jets.
Tehran has provided Moscow with hundreds of drones and helped launch their production in Russia, allowing for a constant barrage of long-range drone strikes at Ukraine’s infrastructure. In September, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that Iran had provided close-range ballistic missiles to Russia.
Russia, meanwhile, has made it clear that it will not abandon Iran, amid the threat of an Israeli retaliation, as confirmed by a Kremlin spokesperson to CNBC on Tuesday.
“We are developing cooperation with Iran in a variety of areas. We intend to do this further,” Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
However, as Iran's regional presence has been seriously threatened by Israel, which also intends to launch an attack to punish Tehran for its October 1 missile attack, there is little Russia can do. Last week, Iranian media hinted at some sort of Russian or Chinese mediation in the Middle East, but there is little sign of either.
For Putin, the summit is a way to demonstrate that Russia is far from isolated, showcasing unity among its allies on the global stage. This, despite many attendees—including Saudi Arabia and Iran—harboring longstanding disagreements.
As the word awaits Israel’s response to Iran’s Oct 1. barrage of more than 180 ballistic missiles on the Jewish state, lawyer and advocate Kaveh Shahrooz told Iran International there are creative ways to respond to Iran’s aggression that could secure a country no longer under Islamic rule.
Speaking over zoom, Shahrooz told Iran International this would involve the West training and funding Iran’s opposition to bring the Iranian establishment down.
Shahrooz suggests utilizing tools like unrestricted internet access, which the government routinely blocks at the first sign of protests, and funding a massive strike fund for Iranian workers to cripple the economy—particularly by targeting critical infrastructure such as the oil industry.
He acknowledged that Israel must respond to Iran’s ballistic missile attacks, proxy threats, and other aggressive actions. However, he emphasized that Israel’s long-term success hinges on empowering Iranian dissidents to overthrow their government. While targeting Iran’s nuclear capabilities is understandable, Shahrooz argued that eliminating future threats requires the complete end of the Islamic Republic.
“Iranian protestors are ready to get back onto the streets. The level of anger that Iranians have at the regime is palpable,” he said.
Alex Selsky, an advisor to the Middle East Forum and former advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel’s next strike should encourage the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.
“All of us hope that this strike can be a game changer for the opposition and for the people in Iran,” said Selksy over zoom in Israel.
The Netherlands-based Gamaan institute conducted an opinion survey in 2023 finding that more than 80 percent of 158,000 respondents in Iran reject the Islamic Republic and prefer a democratic government.
“We really hope that this is an opportunity that we will not miss, that Israel will not miss, that the West will not miss,” he added.
Selsky said he’s in touch with Iranian dissidents, who he said have suffered the most at the hands of Iran's authorities and understand the Iranian threat better than anyone.
He foresees Israel's future strike, no matter the target, as one that will weaken the establishment, but he stressed it must aim at supporting the people of Iran seeking change.
Since the "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising, Iranian authorities have escalated their use of the death penalty. In 2023, executions reached an eight-year high, with Amnesty International reporting that the regime used the death penalty as a tool of oppression, particularly against the persecuted Baluch minority, who suffered a disproportionate number of hangings.
According to Amnesty International, Iran has arbitrarily executed 10 men since December 2022 in relation to the September-December 2022 protests.
Both Shahrooz and Selsky agree the Iranian people have proven that they have risked their lives to achieve freedom - knowing they risk executions and torture. The United Nations Fact Finding Mission found Iran committed crimes against humanity against its own people.
Ultimatum to Iran: Free your people or face attack
Shahrooz said there’s another alternative: give Iran an ultimatum – put down your guns and agree to free and fair referendum on Iran’s future – and you will be allowed to go into exile with your money or Israel will attack.
“The Iranian regime is a paper tiger,” said Shahrooz, who added that Iran’s capabilities and deterrence power have been decimated by Israel in recent weeks.
Since Oct 7, Israel has focused on weakening Iran’s proxies. The leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran while visiting the country for the inauguration of its new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, on July 31. Israel has not claimed responsibility but is believed to be behind the attack. Then, Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of Oct 7 was killed in Gaza. The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, once thought untouchable by many observers, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
On 17 and 18 September, thousands of pagers and hundreds of walkie- talkies belonging to Hezbollah operatives exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria in a coordinated Israeli attack. The killed at least 42 people, including at least 12 civilians, and injured more than 3,000.
Hamas, military and political capabilities, have been obliterated although supporters and fighters do still exist, and Hezbollah is wounded but not out.
If Iranian authorities are given an ultimatum, Shahrooz believes they will take it to hold onto the wealth they’ve amassed since the inception of the Islamic Republic in 1979. Selsky pointed out that he believes people within the Iranian establishment are likely there for money and power.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly addressed the people of Iran in a prerecorded video three weeks ago, saying "Israel stands with you."
The question now: will Israel's next strike put those words into action and support Iranian opposition?
“There is no one I stand more proudly side by side with than the people of Iran today. And I will stand with them until victory," Pahlavi said in his acceptance speech.
The award recognized his advocacy for human rights and peaceful change in Iran after protests since 2022 were met with violence by authorities.
During his speech, Pahlavi described his commitment to ensuring a transition from authoritarian rule to a secular democratic government.
“I will work tirelessly to oversee and ensure that Iran undergoes a peaceful and secure transition to a secular democracy—one where every citizen can live as equals, free from any form of discrimination,” he said.
Honoring the hundreds who have been killed by the Islamic Republic's security apparatus, in addition to hundreds more executed since 2022, Pahlavi paid tribute to the resilience of ordinary Iranians.
He called them the “real architects of peace” and acknowledged the sacrifices they continue to make in their quest for freedom.
“Despite everything, they continue to rise, they continue to fight for the realization of our great civilization,” he said, referencing the widespread protests that have rocked Iran in recent years.
“It is because of them, my dear compatriots, that I have stayed in this fight. I seek nothing for myself, only to serve them. So as long as I live, I will continue my lifelong mission to free Iran from this oppressive regime. I will do everything in my power to ensure that the future of Iran is one of peace, democracy, and justice.”
Pahlavi addressed the increasing instability in the Middle East, as the Islamic Republic and its armed allies confront Israel.
“This is the war of a dictator, Ali Khamenei, who thrives on division and conflict," he said. "The Iranian people do not seek war. They seek peace, security, and a future free from tyranny,” he said, distancing ordinary Iranians from the policies of the current leadership.
Offering hope for the future as the movement against the Islamic Republic continues, he added: "We are nearing the day when the Iranian people will once again take their rightful place in the world—a free, democratic, and peaceful Iran. This is the future we seek. This is the future we will achieve.”
Over the years, the award has been presented to leaders including former Presidents Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush; former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Mike Pompeo; Senators Elizabeth Dole, Joe Lieberman and John McCain.