Iran’s top security body has approved the creation of the National Defence Council, state media said, hours after the country’s army chief warned threats from Israel persist.
“The new defence body will review defence plans and enhance the capabilities of Iran's armed forces in a centralised manner,” the Supreme National Security Council's Secretariat said on Sunday, reported state media.
The council will be chaired by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and will consist of the heads of the three government branches, senior armed forces commanders and ministries.
This move comes in the wake of a 12-day war with Israel in June, in which more than 1,000 people were killed in Iran and 29 in Israel. The US briefly joined the war, striking nuclear sites, although the extent of damage to these still remains unclear.
On Friday, the Fars news agency said the decision comes as part of broader structural changes to Iran's security apparatus.
Commander-in-chief of Iran's military Amir Hatami said on Sunday that threats from Israel persist. “A one per cent threat must be perceived as a 100 per cent threat. We should not underestimate the enemy and consider its threats as over,” the official Irna news agency reported him as saying.
Mr Hatami added that Iran's missile and drone power “remains standing and ready for operations”.
Last month, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said his country could strike Iran again, if threatened.
US President Donald Trump has also threatened further military action on Iranian nuclear facilities if Tehran tried to resume enriching uranium. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Tehran would respond to Israel or the US in a “more decisive manner”, if they attacked the country again.
Iran denies it has been seeking to build nuclear weapons, saying its programme is for peaceful purposes.
Before the war broke out, the US and Iran were divided over uranium enrichment – with Tehran describing it as a “non-negotiable” right and Washington calling it a “red line”. Indirect nuclear negotiations between the foes were derailed when Israel attacked Iran on June 13.
After the war, Iran suspended co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, but Mr Araghchi said he expected to hold talks with the UN nuclear watchdog over a new “modality of co-operation”.
