Yigal Carmon | MEMRI | Feb 6, 2026
Senior Iranian regime officials and their media mouthpieces are continuing to issue threats, with the aim of deterring President Trump from attacking Iran.[1] These threats are in the form of statements, AI-generated videos, cartoons, and billboards in public squares in Iranian cities with messages about killing hundreds or thousands of U.S. troops in the region, sinking U.S. aircraft carriers, launching missiles against the U.S. itself, blocking global shipping lanes, attacking U.S. diplomatic missions, and targeting President Trump’s personal assets.
For example, on February 2, 2026, Tehran city council vice?chairman Parviz Sarvari said: “Five thousand graves are not enough for the American soldiers [that will be killed]; the entire country [Iran] will become a graveyard for them.” He went on to call for designated cemeteries to be prepared in every Iranian city for them, and warned that “the Iranian Navy will set the waters of the Persian Gulf on fire.”
Ayatollah Abbas Kaabi, a member of the Presidium of the Assembly of Experts, announced on January 28 that any attack on Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would be considered “open war on Islam” that would lead to “all Muslims launching a bold operation in the struggle against American authorities and interests around the world.” Also, on January 30, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) posted on its X account the message “11,000 kilometers” – hinting that Iranian ICBMs had sufficient range to reach the U.S.[2]
Iran’s threats vis-à-vis global shipping lanes, diplomatic missions, and U.S. aircraft carriers have also ramped up. Salar Velayat-Madar, a member of the Majlis National Security Committee, warned the Americans on February 1 that they “will soon be defeated and drowned, [like Pharoah] in the Nile,” adding that if Iranian energy infrastructure is damaged, “the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandab will be closed, and the Suez Canal will surely become unsafe as well.”
At the same time, on January 30, 2026, Deputy Majlis Speaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei said: “There is no such thing as a limited war; if you strike once, we will strike you until you are eliminated.” He added that the “solution to the problems lies in punishing Trump.”
These threats also include psychological warfare in the form of AI-generated videos published by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim and Mehr news agencies between January 28 and 31, 2026. They showed drone surveillance of the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, with text stating “You are being watched” and “You will be drowned like Pharoah.” They also published an AI-generated image of an aircraft carrier being hacked to pieces by the legendary double-bladed sword of the fourth imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin of the Prophet Muhammad.
In the political and economic realm, the Iranian regime has set diplomatic missions and President Trump’s personal assets as legitimate targets. Majlis National Security Committee chairman Ebrahim Azizi wrote on X on January 28, 2026, addressing Trump’s business partners, that the Trump Organization “will no longer be a safe partner for you,” and added that any “miscalculation by the U.S. against Iran” would “expand our bank of legitimate targets.” Additionally, it was reported on January 31, 2026 that Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani had conveyed to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE the message that that Iran would respond to an attack on it with its own attacks on U.S. Embassies in their countries.
Several Iranian spokesmen also said that Iran’s policy of threatening the U.S. and President Trump had proven effective and that Trump now feared the might of the Islamic Republic, was not carrying out his threats, and had returned to the negotiating table. On February 5, deputy IRGC commander Yadollah Javani told the Hizbullah outlet Al-Mayadeen that “the Americans have returned to the talks humiliated” and that “America is weaker than it was.”
This report will review the various Iranian threats against the U.S.
Tehran: Trump Has Changed His Tone On Negotiations Because Of Iran’s Deterrence; “The Americans Have Returned To The Talks, Humiliated”
The widely circulated daily Iran stated on February 2, 2026 that the country’s show of its deterrent capabilities had already begun to yield results, as proven by the what they said was a change in Trump’s tone vis-a-vis Iran. It wrote: “It appears that Iran’s show of its deterrent capabilities, and Washington’s recognition that Tehran is determined to respond comprehensively to any threat, even a limited and fleeting one, have gradually introduced doubt into America’s calculations, given the cost of scenarios that until recently were described in Washington’s threatening terminology as ‘options on the table.’ This is now reflected in Washington’s tone. The recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, that ‘very serious talks with Iran’ are underway, indicate an acceptance of the fact that the military option, at least under the current conditions, entails costs and risks that he cannot easily disregard.”[3]
IRGC Gen. Hossein Daghighi, formerly an adviser to the IRGC commander, likewise stated that Washington has returned to the negotiating table out of fear of Iran’s capabilities. This, he said, “is a sign that they fear the capabilities of the Iranian people.” He added that Iran is not interested in war, but that if it does break out it will become a regional confrontation. Thus, he added: “If America wants to go to war with us, it should evacuate all its bases in the region… Our strategy is deterrent and defensive, and could exact a heavy price from the enemy. Our missile capability is very high. In the [June 2025] 12-day war, we demonstrated only part of it.”
To view Daghighi’s statements on MEMRI TV, click here or below:
Screengrab via MEMRI TV
In an interview with Hizbullah’s Al-Mayadeen outlet on February 5, 2026, one day before the start of a new round of talks with the U.S., IRGC deputy commander Yadollah Javani said that the unveiling of the Khorramshahr-4 missile, with a range of 2,000 kilometers, was “a message to the Americans that even as we sit at the negotiating table, we are not giving up our military capabilities.” He added: “The Americans have returned to negotiations humiliated. Iran has not changed its principles in this regard. The Khorramshahr-4 missile has significant destructive capabilities, and the enemies must understand this. A war against Iran will turn into a regional war, and American power is weaker than it was. If the enemies miscalculate, it will be the last mistake they make in the region.”[4]
IRGC X Account Hints At The Range Of Iran’s ICBMs – Enough To Reach The U.S.
The IRGC posted on its X account the single figure “11,000,” hinting at the range of Iran’s missiles ICBMS, which is sufficient to reach the U.S.[5]
Cartoon On Iranian Website Tabnak Mocks Trump, Depicting A U.S. Aircraft Carrier Before And After Arriving In Iran
On January 28, 2026, the Tabnak website, which is affiliated with pragmatic circles, posted a cartoon mocking Trump’s boasts about is his “beautiful fleet sailing towards Iran right now!”[6]
Tehran City Council Deputy Chairman Parviz Sarvari: “Five Thousand Graves Are Not Enough For The American Soldiers; The Entire Country [Of Iran] Will Become A Graveyard For Them”; “Every City Must Prepare” One
Parviz Sarvari, deputy chairman of Tehran’s city council, declared on January 2: “Five thousand graves are not enough for the American soldiers [that will be killed]; the entire country [Iran] will become a graveyard for them. In every [Iranian] city, a graveyard must be prepared for the Americans, in case they consider attacking Iran. If Iran’s borders are breached, the targets struck will be the [Americans’] bases, aircraft carriers, and assets, and the countries that provide them with support. The Iranian Navy, considered one of the strongest in the world, will set the waters of the Persian Gulf on fire. If there is a ground incursion, the Americans will witness the bitter fate of their soldiers.”[7]
Tehran city council deputy chairman Parviz Sarvari (Mehr News, Iran, February 2, 2026)
Ayatollah Abbas Kaabi, Member Of The Assembly Of Experts Presidium: An Attack On Khamenei Is Tantamount To Open War On Islam… And Will Lead To Jihad Waged Against America And Its Interests By Muslims Worldwide
On January 28, 2026, Ayatollah Abbas Kaabi, a member of the Presidium of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, said: “The criminal Trump, the global arrogance movement [led by the U.S.], the evil [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, and all the enemies of Iran and Islam must know that [Iran’s] leader [Ali Khamenei] does not belong only to the Islamic Republic of Iran. He is the guardian of Islam and of the Islamic nation, and a strategic asset for the [entire] Islamic world… Any attack on him would be an operation against the entire Islamic world, and its consequences for America and for Trump personally would be unimaginable. If, God forbid, there is an attack against the Leader, it will effectively be an attack on Islam and the Islamic nation and will be regarded as a declaration of war on Islam. Under such circumstances, the entire Islamic nation will join the fray against America and against the front of arrogance [led by the U.S.], and all Muslims will launch a bold operation in the struggle against American authorities and interests around the world. This will certainly be outside America’s control…
“Without a doubt, the senior jurisprudent ayatollahs [maraje’ taqlid] in the seminaries of Qom and Najaf, the senior Shi’ite clerics and the Sunni scholars, the elites of the Islamic world, and the Muslim nations will respond resolutely and call upon all Muslims to join the arena of jihad to fight America and strike its interests…
“The savage and criminal Trump, and influential American streams, must know that Trump’s actions are driving America, Europe, and Western civilization to destruction, and that his actions are more harmful for Western civilization than they are for the Muslims. Thus, Trump is bound to destroy Western civilization, and America and Europe will suffer more than anyone else.”[8]
asnim News Agency Threatens U.S. In AI-Generated Video: “You Are Being Watched!”
On January 28, 2026, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency posted on its Telegram channel a video titled “You Are Being Watched!”, featuring past footage of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower being surveilled by an IRGC Navy drone. It wrote: “At a time when the enemy is using psychological warfare in an attempt to cast the shadow of war over Iran, investigations show that the naval capability of Iran’s armed forces has grown significantly compared to the past. If they were capable of capturing such images several years ago, this capability has by now no doubt increased many times over.”[9]
It should be noted that on February 3, the USS Abraham Lincoln shot down an Iranian drone that had “aggressively approached” it.[10]
IRGC-Affiliated Mehr News Agency Threatens U.S. Navy: “You Will Be Drowned Like Pharaoh”; “This Place Will Be Your Graveyard”
On January 28, 2026, the IRGC-affiliated Mehr news agency published an AI-generated video showing coffins draped in U.S. flags floating in the sea, as vessels burn in the background. It concluded with the statement, “You will be drowned like Pharoah.”[11]
Screengrab from Mehr’s January 28 video
Another video, released by Mehr several days later, shows Iranian fast boats circling the USS Abraham Lincoln, concluding with the text: “This place will be your graveyard.”[12]
Screengrab from Mehr’s January 31 video
IRGC Posts AI-Generated Image of U.S. Aircraft Carrier Being Hacked To Pieces By The Legendary Sword of Ali, Zulfiqar
On January 29, the IRGC posted on its Telegram channel published an AI-generated image of a U.S. aircraft carrier being hacked to pieces by Zulfiqar, the legendary double-bladed sword of the fourth imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of the Prophet Muhamnmad. At the bottom of the image is a Quranic verse: “And you are superior, if you are believers” (3:139) – conveying Iran’s spiritual and military superiority over U.S. forces in the region.[13]
The image on the IRGC Telegram channel
Iranian Official Warns of Attacks On U.S. Embassies In The Region In Case Of War On Iran
The U.K.-based Iran International outlet, affiliated with the Iranian opposition, reported on January 31, citing a source within the Iranian government, that Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani had conveyed a threatening message to the U.S. in talks last week with officials in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. According to the message, if the U.S. attacks Iran, Iran would target the U.S. Embassies in those countries.[14]
Majles National Security Committee Member Salar Velayat-Madar: “The Americans Will Be Defeated Soon And Will Drown [Like Pharoah] In The Nile; The Strait Of Hormuz And Bab El-Mandeb Will Be Closed, And The Suez Canal Will Become Unsafe”
On February 1, 2026, Salar Velayat-Madar, a member of the Majlis National Committee told the Didban Iran website: “The Americans have lost their way and will soon be defeated, because their behavior today resembles Pharaoh’s, and therefore a Nile River will be found in which to drown them. If the Americans attempt to threaten critical infrastructure, such as the energy sector or oil export terminals, they know with certainty that the straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb will be closed, and the Suez Canal will surely become unsafe as well.”[15]
Majlis Deputy Speaker Hamidreza Haji Babaei: “Strike Once, And We Will Strike You Until You Are Eliminated”
Hamidreza Haji Babaei, deputy Majlis speaker and head of the central committee for marking the “Ten Days of Fajr” that preceded the 1979 return of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to Iran, said at a January 30 gathering in Hamedan Province: “There is no such thing as a limited war. If you strike once, we will strike you until you are eliminated… Iran is not seeking war, but if it breaks out, Iran will attack any country that supports the U.S… The solution to the problems lies in punishing Trump.”[16]
National Security Committee Chairman Ebrahim Azizi Warns Of Attacks On Trump And The Trump Organization
On 28 January 2026, Majlis National Security Committee chairman Ebrahim Azizi wrote on X: “A recommendation to the [business] partners of the U.S. president: The Trump Organization may have recorded 17-fold growth over the past year, but from now on it will no longer be a safe partner for you. The first miscalculation by the U.S. against Iran will [immediately] expand our bank of legitimate targets.”[17]
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