The warning was contained in a statement published on Khamenei’s website following a meeting with senior military commanders on October 31, 2026.
According to the statement, Khamenei ordered the armed forces to respond to every attack with strength and without being restricted by geographical boundaries.
He also said that if the United States or Israel resumed military or terrorist attacks, Iran’s armed forces and people would determine when and how the response would end.
Khamenei further instructed military commanders to update their list of potential targets, expanding it to include various assets and interests belonging to countries they consider enemies.
Those attending the meeting, according to the statement, included Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Ali Abdollahi, Army Commander Amir Hatami, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Ahmad Vahidi.
This was the first time details of a meeting between Khamenei and senior military commanders had been publicly announced.
The Supreme Leader had not appeared in public since succeeding his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s Supreme Leader.
His father was killed in US and Israeli strikes launched at the beginning of the war, which started on February 28, 2026. Iran retaliated by launching attacks against countries in the region that cooperate with the United States.
