Senior Iranian military adviser Mohsen Rezaee has warned that Iran could move beyond retaliatory strikes and launch what he described as a “full-scale invasion and annihilation” if the United States continues its military campaign against the country.
Rezaee, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei and a top official in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), issued the warning on Friday as tensions between Tehran and Washington continued to rise following the collapse of the 14-point memorandum of understanding.
Rezaee Says Diplomacy Has Ended
In a post on X, Rezaee said Iran believes the time for negotiations has passed and warned that continued US military operations could trigger a much larger conflict.
"Both diplomacy and negotiations, as well as war, are over; if America continues the war in the next 2-3 days, we will enter the stage of the enemy's 'full-scale invasion and annihilation'," Rezaee said. His remarks marked one of Iran's strongest warnings since the latest confrontation with the United States began.
سیاست هم مذاکره هم جنگ تمام شد؛ اگر آمریکا طی ۲-۳ روز آینده جنگ را ادامه دهد، وارد مرحلهٔ «تهاجم و انهدام کامل» دشمن خواهیم شد. در صورت فعالسازی این راهبرد دیگر به مقابلهبهمثل اکتفا نمیکنیم و هیچ مرز سیاسی در مقابل نیروهای تهاجمی ایران امنیت نخواهد داشت.
— محسن رضایی (@ir_rezaee) July 17, 2026
Iran Warns It Will Go Beyond Retaliation
Rezaee said Iran would no longer limit its military response to actions matching US attacks. He warned that Tehran would adopt a broader offensive strategy if Washington continued its military operations.
"In the event of activating this strategy, we will no longer settle for retaliation in kind, and no political border will provide security against Iran's offensive forces," he added. The statement suggests Iran could expand military operations beyond its current pattern of retaliatory strikes.
US and Iran Continue Military Exchange
The warning came as both countries continued exchanging military threats and attacks across the region. The United States has repeatedly said its operations are designed to weaken Iran's military capabilities and reduce threats posed by the country's armed forces.
Iranian leaders, meanwhile, have vowed to continue responding to US military action and have warned that American forces and regional military bases could become targets.
CENTCOM Confirms Seventh Consecutive Night of Strikes
At the same time, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced another round of military strikes against Iran. The latest operation marked the seventh consecutive night of US attacks.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said, "CENTCOM launched a round of strikes against Iran at 3 p.m. ET today for the seventh consecutive night. The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief's direction."
The US military has said the campaign is focused on weakening Iran's military infrastructure and operational capabilities.
CENTCOM launched a round of strikes against Iran at 3 p.m. ET today for the seventh consecutive night. The strikes are designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief's direction.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 17, 2026
Explosions Reported in Hormozgan Province
Following the latest US strikes, Iranian state media reported hearing three explosions in the city of Sirik in Hormozgan Province. Authorities have not released further details about the explosions, and there has been no immediate information on casualties or damage.
The latest developments highlight the growing risk of a wider conflict as both Iran and the United States continue military operations and issue increasingly strong warnings.