Iran’s military firmly states that the United States should never underestimate their defensive capabilities. According to Revolutionary Guar's commander, the United States of America can expect "a strong slap in the face" if they dare to test the capabilities of Iran.
Ever since Trump took office, the President was and is still very vocal about "getting tough with Iran." Trump got even more vocal after Iran ran missile tests last January 29. According to him, Iran is playing with fire, and all possible options are now on the table. General Mohammad Pakpour, the head of the Guards and Ground Forces, stated that an intelligent enemy should never underestimate the opposing force. Otherwise, you may end up with a strong slap in the face.
The Revolutionary Guards of Iran concluded a three-day military exercise which included helicopters, tanks, artillery, and rocket tests. This was around a week after Trump’s warning and labeled Iran as "on notice."
Pakpour also said that these exercises are a message to the world and to the United States that they should not do anything they'll regret. During the exercises, Iran displayed what power they have hidden in the ground. Iran did a test on a couple of advanced rockets. Iran also revealed its military expertise using military drones. The extensive military test was held in an undisclosed location in eastern and central Iran.
Aside from the United States, Iran and Israel's tension is also on the rise. According to a military analyst from Tasnim, it is possible that Hezbollah could use Fateh 110 missiles to attack one of the Isreali’s nuclear reactors, specifically the one in Dimona. Keep in mind that Hezbollah is an ally of Iran. Also, Fateh 110 missiles are Iranian-made, and that means the United States is not entirely sure of its destructive capabilities until one finds a target in a real-life setting. It's widely known in the local region that Hezbollah carries a huge payload of Fateh 110.
Iran states that the missile program is mainly for defensive purposes. The country also states that their missile program is no way linked to the world's 2015 nuclear deal. This is the same deal which Trump publicly labelled as the "worst deal ever" during his election campaign. He also stated that he would either get a better agreement or rip it up.
According to James Mattis, the U.S. Defense Secretary, Iran is the biggest sponsor of terrorism. Despite Iran's recent "misbehavior," the U.S. has no immediate plans of increasing the number of troops deployed in the Middle East.
On the other hand, U.S. is currently deploying the USS Cole warship in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. This was due to an attack to the Saudi Naval vessel which resulted in the death of several crew members. The U.S. is not stating that the recent deployment of USS Cole is a response to Iran's military exercises. The USS Cole is no stranger to skirmishes as the warship was attacked by armed Al-Qaida militants back in 2000.
