Aref: Any Violation of Iranian Soil is a Breach of National Sovereignty

Following recent border tensions and reports of military attacks on the country's southern regions, Mohammad Reza Aref, the First Vice President, outlined the official positions of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding border protection. Emphasizing that the country's territorial integrity is a non-negotiable red line, he noted that any hostile action against even the smallest part of Iranian soil is considered an attack on the entire political structure and national sovereignty [1].

Territorial Integrity; A Single Reality Named Greater Iran In separate phone calls with the governors of border provinces including Khuzestan, Hormozgan, Bushehr, and Sistan and Baluchestan, Aref reviewed the latest field readiness and emphasized the concept of "Greater Iran." He stated that in the system's strategic logic, geographical divisions such as north, south, east, and west are merely administrative, and it should not be assumed that a violation of a border region is less important than a violation of the center of the country [2]. According to him, national sovereignty is an indivisible whole, and its defense is pursued with the same intensity and seriousness at all border points [4].

Reaction to Recent Threats and Attacks These remarks come as reports of clashes in southern regions and damage to some infrastructure have been published. Aref, pointing out that the enemy has made a strategic mistake in its calculations, stated that the idea of weakening the national will to defend the country's independence is a vain illusion [3]. He emphasized that the government will use all its capacities to support the "front line of the country's resilience" to ensure sustainable security in border areas [2].

Promise of a Decisive Response Beyond Usual Clichés In another part of his speech, the First Vice President addressed the nature of Iran's response to aggressors. He warned that the Islamic Republic of Iran's response to any insolent aggression would be based on intelligent and comprehensive planning. Aref emphasized that this reaction would be "beyond usual clichés" and accompanied by "major surprises," in a way that would make the enemy regret and be astonished by their action [1][3]. These statements indicate a shift in Iran's defense doctrine toward asymmetric and preemptive responses in the event of a violation of national sovereignty.