Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that it will deliver a significantly stronger retaliation if Israel carries out any further strikes on Iranian territory. IRGC Commander Hossein Salami said Tehran would not seek outside approval to meet its defence needs and pledged a response “harsher” than the 12-day conflict that recently erupted between the two countries. The remarks, delivered on 22–23 August, underline heightened tensions after the brief war, which ended without a decisive shift but left both militaries on alert. Salami’s comments were echoed by senior defence officials who claimed Israel would have faced devastating consequences had the hostilities lasted longer. Iran’s latest statements signal that any renewed confrontation could quickly escalate, complicating efforts by regional and international mediators to prevent another round of fighting.