IRGC Spokesperson says "if we find out that an enemy attack is imminent, we will definitely carry out pre-emptive operations", Fars reports

Pre-emptive strike rhetoric from IRGC channels, carried by semi-official Iranian outlets, is a recurring feature of escalation cycles with Israel and the US, and episodes of this kind have historically split into two cases: rhetorical signalling ahead of a decision already taken, and deterrence posturing that de-escalates once the counterpart steps back. What has separated the two in past rounds is the accompanying footprint, force movement, airspace closures, evacuation advisories and proxy mobilisation, rather than the wording of the threat itself. The established transmission channel runs through crude via the risk premium on Gulf supply and through freight and insurance rates on Hormuz transit, with gold and the front of the oil curve reacting first and European gas following where LNG routing is implicated. The relevant actor track record matters: Fars is aligned with the IRGC and has carried both genuine advance signalling and routine bluster, so attribution of intent to the specific spokesperson and any corroboration from other state outlets is the near-term tell. Follow-ons worth noting are any Israeli or US response in kind, movement in war-risk premia on Gulf shipping, and whether proxy fronts activate, which in prior episodes has marked the difference between contained rhetoric and a broader exchange.