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."   

Aired live by Iran's state TV and radio, the comments were reminiscent of a warning by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2013, when he said Tehran will "flatten" the same two cities in response to a possible Israeli strike.    

Raisi's address was the latest episode in a recent flare-up of tensions between the two sides in Syria, where Israel has been pounding the positions of Tehran-backed forces. Israel has also renewed threats of striking Iranian nuclear sites. While Israeli and Western authorities have repeatedly raised alarm on Iran's nuclear program, Tehran insists that its nuclear activities are peaceful. It has, however, ramped up enrichment to weapons-grade levels, which could potentially make the Islamic Republic a possessor of nuclear bombs.