“Next Missile Will Hit Washington” – Iran’s Latest Threat Explained – Just days after reports suggested the Iranian regime is considering a return to diplomacy with Washington, an Iranian lawmaker warned on Sunday that a missile program 20 years in the making could be used to launch strikes on American soil.
The Latest ‘Iran’ Threat:
“Perhaps our next missile will hit Washington directly,” Amir Hayat-Moqaddam told Didban Iran.
Hayat-Moqaddam, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, described how the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been “working for 20 years on making it possible to strike America from Iranian ships.”
While the lawmaker said that the technology is not yet ready, it “remains within our grasp” – and warned that strikes against European countries are already possible.
“With our existing missiles we can strike France, Germany, the UK, and all of Western and Eastern Europe,” he continued.
The Iranian legislator also said that its vessels are capable of moving close enough to the United States to reduce the distance to major U.S. cities like New York and Washington from roughly 10,000 kilometers to just 2,000 kilometers.
He added that the vessels could be within striking distance of the cities within a day.
What We Know:
The threat comes less than two weeks until Iran is expected to agree to a new nuclear deal with the West – or express intent to meaningfully engage with the U.S. and Europe – or face snapback sanctions that would further isolate the Islamic Republic.
It also comes as reports suggest that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has endorsed a return to nuclear negotiations with the West. Last week, insider sources indicated that Khamenei has quietly backed the resumption of nuclear negotiations with Washington and other Western powers, despite continued demands for the country to drop its nuclear ambitions – even as Iranian officials insist that the program will continue.
The latest threats from Iran were shared by Israel’s Foreign Ministry on social media, with an X post noting that Iran was now “threatening Europe.”
While the comments are likely to prompt a response from the United States as the deadline for a return to negotiations approaches, they are likely to play into Israel’s considerations ahead of expected future strikes.
Analysts widely believe that Israel is considering further military action against Iran, possibly targeting remaining nuclear infrastructure or nuclear scientists and officials currently in hiding.
What Happens Next?
While the comments do not constitute an official threat from the regime – Hayat-Moqaddam is not an official spokesman – they could complicate anticipated efforts by the regime to return to negotiations with the West in the coming days and weeks.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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