Mojtaba Khamenei to armed forces: respond without geographic limits

Mojtaba Khamenei, the Islamic Republic's leader, on Saturday 31 October 2026 ordered the armed forces to be ready for an "immediate response without geographic limits" to any threat, in a written message published on his office's Telegram channel after a meeting with senior military commanders. The message comes as the United States has warned Gulf states about a new round of strikes after the congressional elections.

He said that if the United States and Israel attack again, the Islamic Republic's armed forces will decide when and on what terms the conflict ends. Khamenei also ordered a "comprehensive update" of the military target bank so that, in his words, all physical and non-physical assets of the United States and Israel are within the armed forces' reach.

Seven orders to the commanders

Besides readiness to respond and updating targets, the message calls for stronger military intelligence, development of domestic defence capability, a review of doctrine and tactics, increased production of ammunition and weapons for reconnaissance, support and combat, and attention to the livelihoods and "ideological foundations" of the forces. In the same message he praised the Islamic Republic's proxy groups as the "Resistance Front".

Army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia also wrote on X the same day that if Donald Trump launches a new operation together with Israel, the war will take on a much wider geographic scope. Earlier, Abbas Araghchi had said there would be no red lines left in a new attack.

The Islamic Republic leader's earlier messages

A few days ago Khamenei called for an end to the "neither war nor peace" situation, but tied it to acceptance of the Islamic Republic's same earlier conditions. His new message, like most of his messages since he succeeded Ali Khamenei, was published in writing.

Meanwhile Qatari mediators are working toward a deal between the United States and the Islamic Republic, and disagreements over enriched uranium and the Strait of Hormuz remain. October saw the largest number of attacks on ships in the Persian Gulf since the war began.

On the eve of a possible new US attack, Mojtaba Khamenei spoke of widening the war without geographic limits instead of negotiating.