A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader issued a public warning Wednesday that Tehran would strike Tel Aviv if the United States launches military action against the Islamic Republic.

Ali Shamkhani, a longtime confidant of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posted the threat in Hebrew on the social platform X, a move widely seen as a deliberate signal aimed directly at Israel.

“The limited strike is an illusion,” Shamkhani wrote. “Any military activity from America, from any source and at any level, will be considered the beginning of a war, and the response will be immediate, comprehensive and without precedent, and will be directed at the aggressor, to the heart of Tel Aviv and all of its supporters.”

The unusually explicit threat underscores how Tehran is framing any potential U.S. action not as a contained operation but as a trigger for a broader regional conflict, with Israel positioned as the primary target.

Shamkhani’s comments come as the Trump administration continues to signal that military options remain on the table following Iran’s brutal suppression of nationwide protests, which have left tens of thousands dead, according to international observers and human rights groups.

While the White House has not formally announced plans for a strike, Trump has repeatedly warned that Iran will face severe consequences if it does not change course, and U.S. military assets have been moving into the region in recent days.

Iranian officials have increasingly sought to deter U.S. action by emphasizing the likelihood of rapid escalation and by tying any American strike directly to Israeli security.

Shamkhani has issued similar warnings in recent months. In December, he posted on X that “any aggression will face an immediate ‌#Harsh_Response⁩ beyond its planners’ imagination.”

Iran has repeatedly stated that it would hold Israel responsible for U.S. military action, reflecting Tehran’s long-standing strategy of linking American and Israeli interests in its regional deterrence messaging.

The post is also notable for its use of Hebrew, a tactic Iranian officials and affiliated groups have used in past crises to send a direct psychological and political message to Israeli audiences.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)