Iranian military leaders on Friday issued fresh threats against Israel amid a series of mysterious explosions at Iranian nuclear and military sites that many believe were conducted by the Jewish state.
Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for Iran's armed forces, lashed out at Israel in new remarks, threatening the country with catastrophic military attacks.
"We warn the Zionist liars and their puppeteers that if they continue their prattle, they will see the upper hand of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the resistance front in action," Shekarchi was quoted as saying in the country's state-controlled press.
The threats were issued on the heels of several explosions across Tehran targeting the country's military and nuclear infrastructure. While no one has claimed responsibility for the strikes, which Iranian officials have tried to dismiss as accidents, regional experts say Israel is likely responsible. At least one of the explosions hit a facility known to house Iran's advanced centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium, the main component in an atomic weapon. Two Iranian power plants and a missile factory also have been hit in recent weeks. All of these strikes have fueled speculation that Israel is seeking to dismantle key aspects of Iran's nuclear program ahead of the November U.S. elections.
Shekarchi's remarks were issued after Israel admitted this week that it had bombed Iranian positions in Syria.
Meanwhile, Iran and China are making moves to formalize their increasingly close military relationship. China is poised to sell Iran advanced weaponry and other military hardware as part of an economic pact.
The Trump administration has been working overtime at the United Nations to prevent this from happening. If an international arms embargo on Iran is lifted in October, China, Russia, and other rogue regimes will be legally permitted to arm Tehran. The United States has been urging its allies at the U.N. Security Council to extend the embargo indefinitely. If this effort fails, the United States could petition the body to reimpose all international economic sanctions that were lifted as part of the nuclear accord.