Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces has said any location anywhere in the world from which hostile activity or an attack against the country originated would face a crushing, devastating, and comprehensive response, without hesitation or restraint.

Remarking in a televised interview on Wednesday, Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari said the Armed Forces had developed a comprehensive and updated target bank following the removal, as per the instructions of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, of geographical restrictions on potential retaliation.

He added that the list covered military installations and other locations across the region and beyond that could be used by the United States and the Israeli regime.

Heydari stressed that the Armed Forces were fully prepared to respond to any renewed aggression, following the clear and firm directives issued by Ayatollah Khamenei during the Leader’s recent meeting with military commanders.

The commander said Iran's response would extend to the countries facilitating attacks against it, including those allowing hostile aircraft to use their territory or permitting missiles to be launched from their soil, saying the countries in question would be included on Iran's list of “legitimate targets.”

‘Missile city holds undisclosed capabilities’

The commander referenced the earlier unveiling of an underground missile city, saying Iran had yet to reveal the full extent of its military capabilities, particularly those concealed in the facility.

“These strategic achievements constitute the country’s greatest defensive surprises,” he said, adding that if the enemy took any foolish action, the world would witness these secret capabilities being put to use against the aggressors.

‘Clear message to adversaries’

He described the unveiling of the missile city, alongside the Army's newly established drone city, and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Ali Abdollahi’s recent strategic visits to the southern borders, as a “clear message” to Iran's adversaries.

The commander added that the Armed Forces had reached a high level of coordination and preparedness, with new military capabilities and operational surprises ready to be introduced in a future confrontation.

Heydari said the destruction of some of the United States’ most advanced defensive and radar systems deployed at regional bases during Iran’s retaliation against the latest round of unprovoked American-Israeli aggression, had demonstrated that the claims of invincibility of major powers were unfounded.

The destroyed equipment included sophisticated systems designed to detect stealth aircraft and warships, as well as advanced electronic warfare equipment, he noted.

He also pointed to the withdrawal of US warships by approximately 500 kilometers from the maritime boundary off the southern Iranian port city of Chabahar.

“A power that considers itself victorious on the battlefield does not choose flight over standing its ground,” he said.

Additionally, the commander referenced destruction of nearly 300 enemy aircraft, whether in flight and on the runway, during Iran’s reprisal so far, noting that Iran's electronic warfare systems had also managed to take control of several sophisticated aircraft and bring them down intact as captured assets.

Heydari also reminded that the destruction of early-warning radars, air defense systems, and other military equipment across the region had severely undermined the capabilities offered by enemy bases.

He attributed Iran's military capabilities to the development of its domestic defense industry, saying more than 1,700 knowledge-based companies were cooperating with the sector to localize the entire production and support chain for military equipment. He said the process covered everything from the smallest components to the most advanced systems, enabling the Armed Forces to maintain their capabilities despite foreign pressure.

He said the Armed Forces' preparations also relied on asymmetric warfare tactics designed to counter adversaries equipped with aircraft carriers and large carrier strike groups, adding that new dimensions of these capabilities were emerging continuously.

Avenging Leader’s martyrdom

Concluding his remarks, Heydari highlighted the public support that had been displayed for the Armed Forces through months-long popular demonstrations, describing the public participation as a major source of encouragement for the forces.

He, meanwhile, asserted that the Iranian nation and the Armed Forces were united in their determination to avenge the blood of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was martyred during the latest aggression.

“The commanders and servicemen are determined to press ahead on this path and bring about the destruction” of those responsible for the atrocity, he said, adding, “We are resolute in avenging the blood of the martyred Leader.”