Iran’s Defense Chief: Rumors of Attack Meant to Undermine Stability, Armed Forces Fully Prepared

According to Rokna, in a televised interview, Nasirzadeh said: “They keep saying an attack is coming in order to create social anxiety, fuel inflation, and disrupt economic stability. People must remain alert to this cognitive warfare. If a war is imposed on us, it is our duty as the military to defend the nation, and we are fully prepared to do so.”

Commenting on reports of U.S. troop and equipment movements in the region, he noted that such deployments are nothing new: “The Americans have repeatedly moved warships in and out of the region over the past decades. As the military, it is our principle to always be prepared for defense, regardless of these transfers.”

The minister underlined that while Iran’s armed forces remain at full readiness, other sectors of the country must not be distracted by psychological operations: “Our people must continue their lives, and our economic and social affairs should advance. Today’s conflict is hybrid—both hard and soft war—but currently the soft aspect, cognitive warfare, is more pronounced.”

Nasirzadeh further emphasized: “The repeated talk of an imminent attack is itself part of the war effort. If war is forced upon us, we will defend ourselves—as we did during the 12-day conflict, when we compelled the enemy to accept a ceasefire. They did not do it out of sympathy; we forced them to.”