Iran has warned it will respond within seconds to any new actions by Israel that it deems hostile, according to statements made by the country’s deputy foreign minister for political affairs. Speaking in an interview broadcast on Monday, Ali Bagheri Kani signaled a significant escalation in Tehran’s rhetoric toward Jerusalem, emphasizing that any future Israeli moves considered a “mistake” would provoke an immediate and harsher retaliation.

Bagheri Kani specifically referenced a shift from previous response times, noting that Israel will no longer have the “12-day-long timespace” it had following past incidents. Instead, he said the Iranian government’s reaction will come in a matter of seconds rather than hours or days. He warned that if the Israeli leadership demonstrates “any rationality,” it will avoid repeating what he called a “strategic mistake” that could trigger this swift counteraction.

While expressing that Iran does not seek to increase tensions, Bagheri Kani reiterated Tehran’s commitment to defending its national security and sovereignty against perceived Israeli threats. The comments follow a history of hostile interactions between the two countries, which have periodically flared into military exchanges and heightened diplomatic strain.

The deputy foreign minister’s remarks reflect the ongoing volatility in the region and underscore Iran’s readiness to escalate its responses quickly to Israeli actions it views as aggressive. This posture signals a continuation of the adversarial stance between Tehran and Jerusalem that has defined much of their engagement in recent years.