Khamenei Orders 'Geographically Unrestricted' Response to Any U.S. or Israeli Attack, Tells Commanders to Update Target List

Eight months after U.S.-Israeli strikes opened the war on Feb. 28, and months after an April ceasefire and a June 18 Strait of Hormuz memorandum whose implementation has stalled, Iran's supreme leader has put a new set of military directives on paper.

Mojtaba Khamenei met the commanders of Iran's armed forces on Saturday, Oct. 31, according to a statement from his office. The statement gave no further information about the gathering.

What Khamenei ordered

The statement says "any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful, and geographically unrestricted response."

It also orders the military's "target bank" updated so that "all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy" fall within range of Iran's armed forces.

In a separate Telegram post, Khamenei said: "If the enemies once again launch military or terrorist attacks, it is the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation that will determine the time and conditions for ending them."

Reuters, as relayed by the Times of India, reported that the written message also directs higher production of ammunition and of weapons for reconnaissance, support and combat. The statement calls for stronger military intelligence and more indigenous defense capabilities. It describes "smart combat readiness" as a requirement of "maximum deterrence."

The statements did not cite a specific new threat.

Who was in the room

Three men attended: armed forces chief of staff Gen. Ali Abdollahi, army commander Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi.

It is the first publicly disclosed meeting between Khamenei and all the top commanders of Iran's armed forces since the war began. Khamenei became supreme leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes in February. The younger Khamenei has not been publicly seen since taking the post. Everything attributed to him arrives as written statements from his office, his website and his Telegram channel.

According to the statement, the commanders briefed Khamenei on readiness along the Persian Gulf coast, the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and the country's northwestern and southeastern borders. They also reported a "multiple-fold" increase in production of munitions and of reconnaissance, support and combat weapons.

Diplomacy and a deadline

The threat comes with talks still open. A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday. Qatar and Pakistan have both mediated between the sides, and the talks have yet to produce a lasting agreement.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iran's security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, at President Trump's direction. The aim, per the Journal, was to revive negotiations and avert further U.S. strikes. Iran has confirmed receiving the letter. It has not announced a reply.

Iran's army spokesman, Mohammad Akraminia, posted on X that if the U.S. president once again embarks on "more regional adventurism under pressure from, and in an attempt to appease, the Zionists, the flames of war will undoubtedly engulf a much wider geographical area." Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran's armed forces "will deal against those who dare harm our people."

The Washington side is less clear. Axios reports that Trump is weighing major strikes on Iran after the midterm elections. TRT World, citing a report, said Trump may consider a major strike if Republicans lose ground in the midterms. Vance has said publicly that the U.S. is not headed for a "forever war" and that Trump will achieve his objectives. Separately, the U.S. has reportedly sent 10 military cargo planes to Israel.

The war has been unpopular with American voters, according to AFP, following a spike in energy prices tied to the conflict. The U.S. holds midterm elections on Tuesday. Israel held its own legislative elections last Tuesday.

Hormuz and the wider region

The Guards said Friday that a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil hit a naval mine and caught fire after using an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz. They called it the fourth tanker to suffer an explosion that day. Iranian state TV said the other three also hit mines, and that the vessels had switched off their tracking systems and ignored radio warnings. The Associated Press could not verify those claims. Iran's report did not identify the vessels or provide details about the crews.

Oman said it evacuated 25 crew members from a Panama-flagged tanker that caught fire 1.6 nautical miles off Musandam Governorate. It is unclear whether that incident is connected to the Iranian claims.

Tehran has asserted control over much of the waterway since the war began and has warned that ships passing without its permission face "destruction."

Elsewhere, Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone over the Riyadh region on Saturday, coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said. Debris caused no injuries, and he did not say who launched it. Iran-backed Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, including strikes that closed Riyadh airport for two weeks. UN figures put the toll from renewed fighting in Yemen at more than 1,600 dead and over 275,000 displaced.

What comes next

Khamenei's office said more detail on the directives would be published in the coming hours. Whether Tehran answers Vance's letter before Tuesday's U.S. vote, and what the Qatari delegation carries back to Washington, will show if this order is deterrent signaling or preparation for a second phase of the war.

No party has announced a date for any resumed strikes.