Iran flaunts military hardware on Army Day as it threatens Israel

At a moment of escalating war of words, Iran's president said Israel will face destruction should it strike his country, which the Jewish state has long considered as an existential threat.  
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi watches combat drones alongside high-ranking officials and commanders during a military parade marking the country's annual army day in Tehran on April 18, 2023.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi watches combat drones alongside high-ranking officials and commanders during a military parade marking the country's annual army day, Tehran, Iran, April 18, 2023. - Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images
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A correspondent in Tehran

TEHRAN — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi threatened Israel with annihilation in an address marking the Islamic Republic's Army Day in Tehran on Tuesday.  

"The enemies, especially the Zionist regime, have received the message of Iran's military might," Raisi declared. "The slightest move against our country will trigger a harsh response from our armed forces and will bring about the destruction of [the Israeli cities of] Haifa and Tel Aviv."   

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