Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Representative of the Leader and Secretary of the Defense Council, responded in an exclusive interview with the Al Jazeera network of Qatar to this media outlet’s questions regarding the Defense Council’s strategies, the threats facing the Islamic Republic of Iran, the preparedness of the armed forces in confronting them, and the political and security developments in the region amid the Tehran–Washington negotiations. The full text of the interview follows:
Al Jazeera: News of your recent appointment as Secretary of the Defense Council, described as Iran’s highest defense body, has been published. What message does this appointment convey under current conditions?
Shamkhani: The activation of the Defense Council at this juncture reflects the necessity of focusing on unity at the highest levels of the country’s defense and security structures. The regional security environment has become increasingly complex and uncertain, and responding to such conditions requires a coherent mechanism for strategic coordination, precise decision-making, and maximum utilization of national capacities. The Defense Council has been formed with precisely this objective, and its mission is to enhance cohesion, efficiency, and synergy in the country’s defense and security sphere.
What is the main mission of the Defense Council, and how does it differ from previous structures?
The Defense Council is defined within the framework of Article 176 of the Constitution, and its mission is to create strategic coordination among defense and security sectors, strengthen the cohesion of the armed forces, and support major decision-making processes in the defense domain. This council complements other decision-making structures, and its aim is to accelerate, deepen, and integrate strategic decisions under sensitive conditions. At the present time, the existence of such a structure is an undeniable necessity for increasing deterrence and enhancing national security-building mechanisms.
Following the recent meeting between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, the U.S. President spoke of continuing negotiations with Iran while simultaneously issuing warnings. Given Israel’s efforts to influence the course of negotiations, how do you assess the region’s diplomatic movements?
Certain actors, especially the Zionist regime, fundamentally oppose any tension-reducing process between Iran and the United States and seek to steer the path of dialogue toward instability, pressure, and threats. This approach has precedent and has been repeated at various junctures.
In contrast, countries of the region have correctly understood that any conflict could assume an escalating scope and seriously endanger the collective security, political stability, and economic interests of all regional actors. Therefore, recent diplomatic movements should be analyzed within the framework of efforts to contain tensions and strengthen the political option—an approach based on a precise understanding of the threat and its harmful consequences for all countries in the region.
If Iran and the United States reach an agreement that is not satisfactory to Israel, is there a possibility of independent Israeli action against Iran? And in that case, what would Iran’s response be?
Shamkhani: The strategic reality is that the Zionist regime will not be capable of carrying out effective military action against the Islamic Republic of Iran without coordination and direct support from the United States. Any extensive military move would require Washington’s operational, intelligence, logistical, and political backing. This reality was clearly observed in the 12-day war as well.
At the same time, the Islamic Republic of Iran will deliver a decisive, proportionate, and crushing response to any adventurist action. The country’s level of defensive readiness is such that the cost of any miscalculation for its initiator would be extremely heavy and deterrent. The rational path for all parties is to avoid tension, respect on-the-ground realities, and refrain from destabilizing actions in the region’s security environment.
NOURNEWS