This photo taken on Jan. 27, 2026 shows a giant banner in Tehran, Iran. (Xinhua/Shadati)

TEHRAN, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- As tensions with the United States continue to heat up, Iran issued a series of warnings on Thursday regarding potential U.S. military action and has started ramping up its military preparedness for possible conflict.

Earlier in the day, Iran announced it has inducted 1,000 domestically developed "strategic combat" drones into its army divisions, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The drones were distributed to ground, air defense, naval, and air forces under the order of Army Chief Amir Hatami, and are capable of striking fixed or mobile targets on land, at sea, and in the air.

The army has prioritized preserving strategic advantages to deliver a "crushing" response to any aggression, Hatami was quoted as saying.

The country also announced that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) would hold "live-fire" exercises on Sunday and Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, "a chokepoint for the flow of 20 percent of the world's oil and natural gas," according to Press TV.

This photo taken on Jan. 24, 2026 shows a street view in Tehran, Iran. (Xinhua)

Also on Thursday, foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) agreed to add the IRGC to the bloc's terrorist list.

Denouncing the EU's move, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces warned that the European policymakers would be directly responsible for their move's "precarious" repercussions, according to the official news agency IRNA.

In the wake of U.S. "escalatory and destabilizing" actions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday exchanged views with Qatar's emir and Pakistani prime minister on the latest regional developments.

In two separate phone calls with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pezeshkian called for greater unity among Muslim states and continuing the path of diplomacy to de-escalate tensions, according to a statement from his office.

He praised Qatar and Pakistan for their "continuous and brotherly support" for Iran, expressing hope that the unity and solidarity among Islamic countries would be further strengthened and deepened.

The Qatari emir and Pakistani prime minister expressed their decisive opposition to any action against Iran's security, independence, and territorial integrity, including through war, sanctions, or political interventions, underlining their countries' principled and fixed positions in support and solidarity with the Iranian government and people.

The latest developments followed a U.S. deployment of a carrier-led strike group to the Middle East earlier this week. U.S. President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that a "massive armada" was heading toward Iran and that "time is running out" for Tehran to reach a deal.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi (R) attends a joint press conference in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 18, 2026. (Xinhua/Shadati)

In response, Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, "Our brave armed forces are prepared -- with their fingers on the trigger -- to immediately and powerfully respond to any aggression."

The minister is scheduled to visit Türkiye on Friday for high-level talks aimed at strengthening regional ties based on "good-neighbourliness." Despite the heightened tensions, Araghchi expressed Iran's openness to a "mutually beneficial, fair and equitable" nuclear agreement reached on equal footing.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned on Wednesday that attacking Iran would be wrong and risk igniting another war, while confirming Tehran's readiness to resume nuclear talks.

Meanwhile, Israel has heightened its military alert. "If the Iranians draw us into an incident, they will discover they have made a serious mistake," a senior security official was quoted as saying by Israel's Ma'ariv news site on Thursday.

The official added that Israel is "strongly prepared, both defensively and offensively" and is preparing for possible involvement by Iranian-backed groups including Hezbollah and the Houthis.