Hamed Jafarnejad / AP Photo
A commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said on Wednesday that the country is “ready to fire missiles” at U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf within minutes of an attack on Iran. In a response to reports that the U.S. has increased military presence in the Middle East, Iran’s Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said that missiles have been aimed at 35 U.S. military bases in the Middle East—and targets in Israel, reported Iran’s semi-official news agency, Fars. Hajizadeh’s remarks came as the Revolutionary Guard participated in a three-day war game exercise called Great Prophet Seven, which Iranian officials claimed was show of defiance against western pressure—including the oil sanctions that went into effect this week. The U.S. also announced earlier this week they would be sending more soldiers to the Gulf.