Iran warns 'finger on trigger' as Trump says it wants talks
- 2026-01-22 06:41:59
Tehran -- The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Thursday warned Washington that the force had its "finger on the trigger" in the wake of mass protests, as US President Donald Trump said the Islamic republic still appeared interested in talks.
His comments came in a written statement quoted by state television marking the national day in Iran to celebrate the Guards, a force whose mission is to protect the 1979 Islamic revolution from internal and external threats.
Activists accuse the Guards of playing a frontline role in the deadly crackdown on protests.
The group is sanctioned as a terrorist entity by countries including Australia, Canada and the United States, and campaigners have long urged similar moves from the EU and UK.
Another senior military figure, General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi who leads the Iranian joint command headquarters, meanwhile warned that in the case of an attack by the United States, "all US interests, bases and centres of influence" would be "legitimate targets" for the Iranian armed forces.
