Mousavi responded to recent threats against Iran, including from Israel, calling them "unbounded," in a speech delivered at a gathering dubbed "Defenders of the Shi'ite Holy Places" Saturday, marking the birth of the Shi'ite Imam Hussein and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) day.
"It is not right to sit on one's hands and to wait until our enemies cross the borders to confront them," he said. "We need to prevent this illegitimate entity (Israel) from continuing to exist even one more day. The leaders of arrogance (the US and the West) are propping it up so that it continues."
"It is certain that within 25 years the Zionist entity will be destroyed," Mousavi added. "But that does not mean that the IRGC will not take the initiative to attack the enemy."
The war of words began on Friday, when Brig.-Gen. Hossein Salami, the second-in-command of the IRCG, warned Israel: "It is narrow, all of Israel is within range of our weapons, including Air Force bases, so do not depend on them."
"Israel has nowhere to run," Salami continued. "It is living in the dragon's mouth, and the resistance is stronger than in the past."
"Our fingers are on the trigger and the missiles are ready to fire," the senior Iranian military commander said according to Iran's Tasnim news agency. "At the moment when the enemy decides to act against us, we will fire at them. We have learned ways to overcome our enemies. We can hit our enemies' vital interests wherever we wish."
The United States suffered a defeat in Syria, Salami said in his speech, and its actions, including the recent missile strike, are not part of an overall strategy and are worthy of ridicule. The Iranian people will never change, he said, and remains committed to the revolution, its commitment and its sacrifice.
"We are stronger today than ever in all areas: in the economy, in defense, in politics, and in regional influence," he said.