Iran’s highest-ranking military officer has issued a stark warning to Persian Gulf nations, cautioning that any facilitation of U.S. military operations against the Islamic Republic would be treated as direct participation in aggression against Iran.
Major General Ali Abdollahi, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, took to social media on Wednesday to deliver the blunt message, specifically addressing Gulf states that have publicly declared they will not allow their territories to be used for strikes against Tehran.
“Those southern Persian Gulf countries that issue various statements claiming they will not allow the United States to use their territory against Iran should know that nothing escapes our attention,” Abdollahi wrote on his X account.
The general cast doubt on the credibility of such assurances, pointing to the sheer scale of American military movements in the region. “It seems unlikely that such a large number of military aircraft, particularly aerial refueling aircraft, could be stationed at regional bases without the knowledge of the host countries,” he stated.
Abdollahi’s warning carried an unequivocal threat: “Any assistance or facilitation provided to the aggressive U.S. military will be regarded as participation alongside U.S. military forces.”
The remarks come amid intense regional turmoil following the U.S.-Israeli joint military campaign against Iran, which was triggered by the February 28 strike that martyred Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, at the outset of what Tehran now calls the “40-day war.” The ongoing conflict has seen the United States leverage its extensive network of military bases spread across several Gulf states to launch operations against Iranian targets.
Iran has responded in kind, striking U.S. military installations and interests in those host countries, in addition to targeting Israeli positions in the occupied territories. The back-and-forth has dramatically escalated tensions across West Asia, placing Gulf nations in an increasingly precarious position between two entrenched adversaries.
Iranian military officials have consistently maintained that the presence of U.S. forces and their regional proxies only compounds the costs for aggressors. Despite facing advanced weaponry and hybrid warfare tactics, the Iranian Armed Forces claim to have inflicted heavy losses on their adversaries throughout the conflict.
Abdollahi’s warning underscores Tehran’s heightened vigilance and its readiness to hold neighboring states accountable for any perceived complicity in American military actions. The statement also reflects Iran’s broader strategy of pressuring Gulf capitals to distance themselves from Washington’s military footprint, even as the U.S. continues to rely on regional bases for its campaign.
With hostilities showing no signs of abating, the general’s message serves as a clear signal that Iran is closely monitoring every move in the region and that it will not hesitate to expand the theater of confrontation should it determine that Gulf states are actively enabling its enemies.
Source: Iranian media (edite dby Al-Manar)