Iranian general to Washington: 50,000 US troops "within range"

Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Division, has cautioned the United States against escalating tensions, warning that American forces in the region are highly vulnerable.

Speaking on March 31 in Tehran during Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the conclusion of Ramadan, Hajizadeh highlighted the presence of US military installations in close proximity to Iran, Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

“The Americans have 10 military bases in the region, particularly surrounding Iran, with 50,000 troops stationed there,” he stated.

“This effectively places them in a glass house, and when one resides in a glass house, one should not throw stones at others.”

To recall, U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Iran of possible bombings and renewed economic sanctions if it does not agree to a new nuclear deal with Washington.

In an interview with NBC News, Trump confirmed that U.S. and Iranian officials were in contact but provided no details. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," he said. "But there's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago."

During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, which had placed strict limits on Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

He also reinstated sweeping sanctions, leading Iran to accelerate its uranium enrichment programme beyond the deal’s restrictions.

Iran has so far dismissed Trump's warnings. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran had responded to Trump’s recent letter, in which he urged Iran to agree to a new nuclear accord, via Oman, according to state media.

Western powers have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium beyond levels needed for civilian energy production. Tehran denies this, insisting its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes.

By Aghakazim Guliyev