Iran has issued a stark warning, vowing to target up to 50,000 U.S. soldiers in retaliation for recent American airstrikes on its nuclear facilities.
The threat comes after President Donald Trump, in a fiery post on Truth Social on June 22, 2025, called for regime change in Tehran, amplifying fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East.
READ ALSO: Iran says America and Israel have now crossed the red line.
Anchor Mehdi Khanalizadeh, speaking on Iranian state TV, warned of severe consequences, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said diplomacy is off the table until Iran responds.
State media and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared U.S. troops and assets in the region “legitimate targets.”
“The 40,000 – 50,000 American Soldiers in the region are now legitimate targets. Every American Citizen & Soldier is a legitimate target. Even the Presidency of Trump will not be in existence,” Mehdi said on live TV.
“The President or the United States, the man in the Oval Office chose to receive the coffins of 40,000 – 50,000 U.S. soldiers in Washington,” he continued.
READ ALSO: U.S. Strikes Iranian Nuclear Sites, Trump declares operation a successful one
The U.S. strikes, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, hit Iran’s key nuclear sites—Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan—on June 21, 2025.
Trump claimed the attacks “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, a move he said was necessary to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
The operation involved 125 aircraft, including B-2 bombers dropping massive bunker-busting bombs, and submarines launching Tomahawk missiles, according to the Pentagon.