Iran’s army chief Amir Hatami on Thursday vowed a “crushing response” to any attack, according to state television, which reported 1,000 “strategic drones” had joined the combat regiments. The United States had hit Iranian nuclear targets when it briefly joined Israel’s war against Iran in June. A Gulf official told AFP that fears of a US strike on Iran are “very clear”. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television in English. NATO member Turkey is also weighing contingency plans along its 530-kilometre border with Iran should the dispute escalate, a senior official told AFP.

Source: Bangkok Post January 29, 2026 14:26 UTC