Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Warns U.S. It Is “Finger on the Trigger” as American Warships Move Closer
Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard issued a stark warning to the United States on Friday, declaring it is fully prepared for confrontation as American naval forces move toward the Middle East.
The statement follows weeks of escalating pressure from President Donald Trump amid widespread anti-regime demonstrations inside Iran and a harsh government crackdown in which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has played a central role.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard and dear Iran stand more ready than ever, finger on the trigger, to execute the orders and directives of the Commander-in-Chief,” IRGC Gen. Mohammad Pakpour said, according to The Associated Press, which cited Nournews, an outlet closely aligned with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Pakpour also cautioned Washington and Jerusalem “to avoid any miscalculation,” the AP reported, echoing a warning issued last week by an Iranian ambassador who accused the U.S. and Israel of fueling “political destabilization, internal unrest and chaos.”
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have both voiced support for Iranian protesters. Netanyahu said Israel was “closely monitoring” developments and pledged that once Iran is “liberated from the yoke of tyranny,” Israel would be ready to help usher in peace.
Earlier this week, Iranian officials directly threatened Trump, warning him not to take action against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Trump knows that if any hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we not only cut that hand, but also we will set fire to their world,” said Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for Iran’s armed forces, according to the AP.
On Thursday, Trump confirmed that U.S. naval forces were being repositioned toward Iran, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the move was precautionary.
“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said, according to the AP.
A U.S. Navy official later told the AP that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with accompanying warships, was operating in the Indian Ocean.
The unrest in Iran began on Dec. 28, when large crowds took to the streets to protest worsening economic conditions and the country’s growing international isolation. Since then, despite a government-imposed internet blackout, reports of widespread violence against demonstrators have continued to surface.
At the outset of the protests, Trump warned Tehran that the United States was “locked and loaded” and prepared to respond if the regime used force against civilians.
In a Truth Social post on Jan. 16, Trump claimed the Iranian government had canceled more than 800 scheduled executions.
Iran’s chief prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, rejected that claim on Friday, saying, “This claim is completely false; no such number exists, nor has the judiciary made any such decision,” according to the AP.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Friday that confirmed deaths have climbed to 5,137, with 7,402 people seriously wounded. The group said arrests have surged to nearly 28,000.
Iranian authorities offered their first official casualty figures on Wednesday, stating that 3,117 people were killed. Of those, officials said 2,427 were civilians and security personnel, while the remainder were described as “terrorists,” the AP reported.
