BREAKING: Mojtaba Khamenei orders the armed forces to respond to any threat “without geographical limits” and to update the target bank

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ordered the country’s top military leadership to ensure an immediate and effective response “without geographical limits” to any level and any kind of potential hostile threat. The orders were given on Saturday, October 31 at a meeting with the commanders of the armed forces, announced by the Iranian agency Tasnim. The move comes a day after a US report said Trump is preparing a new round of strikes, possibly as early as November 4.

What he asked of the generals

Khamenei, who is also commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces, described “smart combat readiness for a strong confrontation with enemies” as one of the requirements of “maximum deterrence”. He said that if adversaries resume military or “terrorist” attacks, the time and the terms of their end will be determined by the armed forces and the Iranian people.

His most specific instruction concerns the target bank. He wants it updated so that all tangible and intangible assets of the “American-Zionist enemy” are within range of Iranian forces. The remaining points concern military intelligence, deepening domestic defence into “doctrine” and “tactics”, new technologies, and care for the living needs of personnel.

Readiness in the Gulf, Hormuz and the borders

Three axes featured in the reports presented to Khamenei: the Persian Gulf coast, the Strait of Hormuz with the Gulf of Oman, and the northwestern and southeastern borders. They were presented by Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, Army commander Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami and Revolutionary Guards commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi. They told him that production of ammunition and of reconnaissance, support and combat weapons has multiplied. The Strait remains the scene of constant incidents involving merchant ships; see our latest report on Hormuz.

Further Iranian warnings

The same day, an unnamed senior Iranian security and political-affairs official told Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen that the overall operational plan of the armed forces has been completed and that the decision for a “decisive, comprehensive and very extensive” response to any attack is “absolutely certain”. He warned that in case of “terrorist” acts the list of targets would widen to all civilian centres and facilities of the adversaries and their regional backers.

Iranian Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia wrote on X that his forces are closely monitoring American moves in the region and that if the American president attempts a new “adventure”, the flames of war will spread over a wider geographic area and its end “will not be in his hands”. The war began on February 28 with American and Israeli strikes.