Iranian President Pezeshkian vows to maintain support for country's military despite 'limitations and problems'

Tehran (Web Desk): Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that his administration would provide the country’s armed forces with unwavering support, pledging to use “all our might” to address their requirements despite existing constraints and difficulties, state news agency ISNA reported.

پزشکیان: با تمام توان از نیروهای مسلح پشتیبانی می‌کنیم
-همان‌گونه که در گذشته پشتیبانی کامل از نیروهای مسلح در دستور کار دولت بوده، این حمایت با وجود محدودیت‌ها و مشکلات ادامه می‌یابد
-دولت از هیچ تلاشی برای تأمین نیازمندی‌های نیروهای مسلح، نمی‌گذردhttps://t.co/x6u2iLhSen pic.twitter.com/zh84ictBVO

— خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) August 19, 2026

Addressing a cabinet session, Pezeshkian said the government would make every possible effort to ensure that the military receives what it needs, stressing that supporting the armed forces remains a priority on the government’s agenda.

Meanwhile, an Iranian parliamentarian has warned that Tehran would respond in kind if the United States were to launch a nuclear attack against Iran.

Fada Hossein Maleki, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, made the comments in an interview with Iranian news outlet Khabar Online on Wednesday while responding to reports about the possibility of Washington using nuclear weapons against Iran.

Asked whether he believed such an attack was possible, Maleki said he could not completely dismiss the possibility of what he described as an ill-considered decision by US President Donald Trump.

However, he said he did not believe Trump would take such a step because it could trigger a conflict with potentially devastating consequences for the entire world.

Maleki said that if the United States carried out such an attack, Iran would retaliate and that the scale and nature of its response would depend on the weapon used against it.

When specifically asked whether Iran would use a nuclear weapon in response to a US nuclear strike, Maleki said Tehran would respond according to whatever weapon Washington used. He did not, however, directly claim that Iran possesses nuclear weapons.

The Iranian lawmaker also issued a broader warning over any further US military action, saying Tehran had numerous options available and could respond at an equal level or potentially with an even stronger reaction.

According to Maleki, Iran still possesses military capabilities and weapons that have not been publicly revealed. He said the country’s strategic approach had shifted from merely defending itself toward what he called “active and offensive deterrence.”

On the diplomatic front, Maleki accused the Trump administration of failing to honour commitments made under a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington. He said Iran would not resume negotiations unless the United States fulfilled its earlier obligations, warning that unresolved issues, including the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, would remain unsettled.

He also distinguished Iran’s discussions with Oman from its dealings with Washington, saying the talks with Muscat represented a separate bilateral process and that Tehran had rejected US involvement in those discussions.

Amid the escalating rhetoric, NATO said on Wednesday that it remained prepared to respond to any threat and would take whatever measures were necessary to protect its members.

The alliance was responding to a British newspaper Financial Times’ report alleging that Iran had considered attacking American military facilities in Europe if Trump ordered a further escalation of the conflict.

A NATO official pointed to the alliance’s air-defence capabilities, saying they had already demonstrated their effectiveness earlier this year when NATO systems intercepted ballistic missiles travelling toward Türkiye from Iran on four separate occasions.

The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Iranian authorities had examined possible ways of striking US military installations in Europe as Tehran considered expanding the conflict beyond the Middle East if Trump escalated military action.

The British newspaper, citing two individuals close to the Iranian government, said Iranian forces had evaluated potential attacks against American assets in southeastern Europe. Bulgaria was reportedly among the countries considered after Sofia approved the use of its Bezmer air base by US aircraft involved in aerial refuelling operations last month.

Cyprus was also identified as a possible target, according to one of the sources. The island hosts a British military base that was struck by a drone in March.

The report further said Iranian forces had separately explored the possibility of attacking underwater fibre-optic communications cables in the Strait of Hormuz should tensions escalate further.

As per the report, Tehran was preparing contingency plans to widen the conflict if Trump carried out earlier threats to target Iranian infrastructure. The source said Iran would defend itself regardless of the cost and could extend its response beyond the region to targets in Europe if Washington went too far.

The report emerged as efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remained deadlocked and hopes for renewed negotiations between Iran and the United States continued to weaken.

Trump said on Tuesday that there were no talks or discussions taking place with Tehran and that none had been scheduled.

Iranian military officials have previously warned that any foreign military installation used to launch attacks against Iranian territory could itself become a legitimate target for retaliation.