Updated

Iran's Defense Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi said on October 21 that Tehran's response to repeated threats is not a war of words but a push toward greater readiness and more effective defensive capability. The IRGC's deputy for political affairs separately said Iran's armed forces are fully prepared to confront and crush any aggression by its enemies. The statements came amid heightened rhetoric between Iran, the United States and Israel over the possibility of renewed conflict, with Iranian officials repeatedly emphasizing military preparedness rather than negotiation in public remarks this week.