Revolutionary Guards: Israel’s Skies Are Open to Iran

IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini. (Tasnim)
IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini. (Tasnim)
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Revolutionary Guards: Israel’s Skies Are Open to Iran

IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini. (Tasnim)
IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini. (Tasnim)

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said Israel’s skies are "open and unprotected" against Iran, with "no obstacles" to launching new operations at the right time.

The statement denied any damage to Iran’s air defenses or missile production following an Israeli strike in late October.

IRGC Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini said joint military drills with the Iranian army would continue, showcasing what he called "a new chapter in Iran’s deterrence power."

The drills include revealing underground missile bases and testing ballistic missiles.

Iran is fully prepared for "major and complex battles of any scale," Naeini said, as tensions with Israel and regional developments grow.

Speaking at a press conference, he referred to recent changes in Syria and the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. He accused Iran's enemies of using "cognitive warfare" to falsely portray the country as weakened.

Naeini pointed to Iran’s strikes on Israel in April and October, calling them "just a small part of our limitless power."

"The skies over occupied territories remain open and unprotected for us. We can act with more precision, speed, and destructive force," he added.

He accused Israel of spreading false narratives to weaken Iran’s morale but vowed to "correct the enemy’s distorted perception."

"We are always ready, and when the orders come, we will show our strength again," he warned.

Naeini described the military drills as a display of "strength and deterrence" and said their message "will reach the enemy in the coming days."

Iran’s army and the IRGC have begun three months of annual military drills across land, sea, and air, aimed at addressing new security threats and simulating real battles. The exercises, both defensive and offensive, aim to boost military readiness, counter terrorism and sabotage, and strengthen national morale.

Naeini dismissed Israeli claims that Iran’s defenses were weakened after the October 26 attack, saying missile production remains unaffected and defense systems are fully operational.

On warnings of a possible third Iranian strike on Israel, Naeini said: "There is no obstacle to new operations when the time is right." He promised future actions would be "more powerful and surprising."

He accused Israel of suffering heavy losses, claiming 1,000 Israeli soldiers have died since the start of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation in Gaza. Supporting resistance movements remains central to Iran’s military doctrine, he said.

Naeini emphasized that Iran does not seek war, but the drills are meant to strengthen deterrence and defense.

Iranian media reported that air defense units conducted exercises near sensitive sites, including the Natanz nuclear facility. Special forces were also deployed in western Iran to address security threats.

In early October, Iran launched 200 missiles towards Israel, with Tel Aviv reporting that most were intercepted by its air defenses or those of its allies.

Tehran said the attack was in retaliation for Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and an IRGC commander in a strike on southern Beirut in September, along with the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July.

On October 26, Israeli warplanes targeted military sites in Iran, including missile facilities and radar systems, destroying them.



Greenland Independence Is Possible but Joining the US Unlikely, Denmark Says

The Greenlandic (L) and Danish flags are pictured at the Ministry of Finance in Copenhagen on January 8, 2025. (AFP)
The Greenlandic (L) and Danish flags are pictured at the Ministry of Finance in Copenhagen on January 8, 2025. (AFP)
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Greenland Independence Is Possible but Joining the US Unlikely, Denmark Says

The Greenlandic (L) and Danish flags are pictured at the Ministry of Finance in Copenhagen on January 8, 2025. (AFP)
The Greenlandic (L) and Danish flags are pictured at the Ministry of Finance in Copenhagen on January 8, 2025. (AFP)

Greenland may become independent if its residents want, but is unlikely to become a US state, Denmark's foreign minister said on Wednesday after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out force to take control of the Arctic island.

Greenland's leader held talks on Wednesday with the Danish king in Copenhagen, a day after Trump's remarks thrust the fate of the mineral-rich and strategically important island, which is under Danish rule, to the top of world headlines.

Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, said on Tuesday he would not rule out using military or economic action to make Greenland part of the United States. The same day, Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., made a private visit to Greenland.

Greenland, part of NATO through the membership of Denmark, has strategic significance for the US military and for its ballistic missile early-warning system since the shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the Arctic island.

The president-elect has indicated he would pursue a more combative foreign policy that disregards traditional diplomatic formalities.

Greenland, the world's biggest island, has been part of Denmark for 600 years although its 57,000 people now govern their own domestic affairs. The island's government led by Prime Minister Mute Egede aims for eventual independence.

"We fully recognize that Greenland has its own ambitions. If they materialize, Greenland will become independent, though hardly with an ambition to become a federal state in the United States," Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.

He told reporters the United States' heightened security concerns in the Arctic were legitimate following increased Russian and Chinese activity in the region.

"I don't think that we're in a foreign policy crisis," he said. "We are open to a dialogue with the Americans on how we can possibly cooperate even more closely than we do to ensure that the American ambitions are fulfilled."

Still, although Denmark itself played down the seriousness of Trump's threat to its territory, the returning president's openly stated ambition to expand US borders has jolted European allies less than two weeks before he takes office.

France's foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, said Europe would not let other nations attack its sovereign borders, although he did not believe the US would invade.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed surprise at Trump's comments about Greenland and Canada, underlining that European partners unanimously uphold the inviolability of borders as a cornerstone of international law.

STRAINED RELATIONS

Greenland's relations with Denmark have lately been strained by allegations of colonial-era mistreatment of Greenlanders. Egede has said the island is not for sale, while in his New Year speech he stepped up his push for independence. Denmark says the territory's fate can be decided only by Greenlanders.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday she could not imagine Trump's ambitions would lead to US military intervention in Greenland. Denmark's military capabilities there are limited to four inspection vessels, a Challenger surveillance plane and dog sled patrols.

Responding to Trump's threat of tariffs against Denmark, which according to analysts at Danske Bank could potentially be "quite harmful to Danish companies, Frederiksen said she did not think a trade war with the United States was a good way forward.

Denmark is home to Novo Nordisk, Europe's most valuable company, which makes weight-loss drug Wegovy that has become hugely popular in the United States, the Nordic country's biggest trading partner.

The Danish royal palace gave no details ahead of King Frederik's meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday with Greenland's Prime Minister Egede.

While many Greenlanders dream of independence from Denmark, the king remains popular on the island, having spent extended periods there, including a four-month expedition on the ice sheet. Last month, the royal court modified its coat of arms, enlarging a polar bear that symbolizes Greenland.

"I'm sure the king is really the person best placed in Denmark to deal with this issue right now because he has a long history with Greenland," Damien Degeorges, a Reykjavik-based consultant specializing in Greenland, told Reuters.

"He's popular in Greenland. So he can clearly be helpful to the Danish-Greenlandic relationship."

Trump already raised the issue of the US taking over Greenland during his first presidency, but his latest remarks still left many Danes baffled.

"I find it extremely ridiculous," said Jeppe Finne Sorenson, a data engineer in the Danish capital. "We have an alliance, we're allies. So this doesn't really respect that."