By World Israel News Staff

A close adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Sunday that Tehran still considers itself at war with both Israel and the United States and that a new escalation could begin at any moment.

The remarks by Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and longtime confidant of Khamenei, were reported and translated to English by opposition-linked news outlet Iran International.

“We are not in a ceasefire, we are in a stage of war. No protocol, regulation, or agreement has been written between us and the U.S. or Israel,” Safavi declared.

The general also hinted at the potentially apocalyptic consequences of renewed fighting, even suggesting the possibility of nuclear weapons being used.

“I think another war may happen, and after that, there may be no more wars,” he said.

Safavi argued that strength was the only guarantee of survival for Iran.

“The Americans and the Zionists say they create peace through power; therefore, Iran must also become strong, because in the system of nature, the weak are trampled,” he continued.

He added that Iran must intensify its “diplomatic, media, missile, drone and cyber offensive strategy,” explaining that “we, the military, do scenario-planning, we see the worst case, and we prepare a plan for it.”

His remarks come two months after Operation Rising Lion, which saw Israel launch a surprise strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The U.S. joined in a limited capacity, deploying B-52 bombers to attack the Fordow nuclear enrichment site with bunker-busting weapons.

During the conflict, Iran targeted civilian areas in Israel, killing 31 people. Victims included a child cancer patient and two elderly Holocaust survivors.

The only non-civilian casualty was an off-duty soldier killed at home in Beersheba when a missile hit his apartment, also killing his girlfriend and mother.

Although a fragile ceasefire has held since late June, both Israeli and Iranian leaders have signaled that they are ready for renewed hostilities at any time.