ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s defense minister on Sunday criticized recent remarks from his American counterpart and said that while Tehran will not initiate war, it will respond “without hesitation” if subjected to a military attack.
“Iran has a very large stockpile of missiles in cities, and if war is imposed, it will use them without hesitation and without consideration against targets anywhere,” Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said in an interview, as cited by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
He was referring to recent statements from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who on Thursday warned Iran over its support for the Houthis in Yemen.
“You know very well what the U.S. military is capable of – and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at a time and place of our choosing,” Hegseth said on X.
“We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis,” he warned.
Nasirzadeh further slammed Washington’s remarks, saying they come at a time when American officials express a willingness to negotiate but “regularly and through various means threaten the Islamic republic with a military attack.”
On Friday, Tehran condemned the latest round of sanctions imposed by Washington, with a fourth round of indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran postponed.
Iran said the delay came at the request of the Omani foreign minister, who is serving as mediator, though Washington said the talks had not been confirmed.
Nasirzadeh advised Hegseth to study the Islamic republic’s history, saying, “If they study, they will realize that they should not speak to the Islamic Republic of Iran in the language of threats.”
He reiterated that Tehran would decisively respond to any military threat.
“If the war is from the US or Zionist regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran will attack their interests, bases, and forces wherever they are and whenever it deems necessary, and the defense ministry is trying to equip the armed forces on land, air, and sea,” Nasirzadeh stressed.
Under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear enrichment program for much-needed relief from crippling sanctions.
But the deal began unraveling in 2018 when Trump, during his first term, unilaterally withdrew and imposed biting sanctions on the Islamic republic, which in turn began rolling back on its nuclear commitments.
Upon returning to office, Trump in early February restored his “maximum pressure” policy against Tehran, arguing that it is “too close” to a nuclear weapon and seeking a new deal with Tehran.
In late March, Trump warned that “there will be bombing” against Iranian interests if Tehran fails to reach an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program.
“If they don’t make a deal [with the US] there will be bombing, and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” he told NBC News.
In an indirect response to Trump’s threats, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of a strong response if Iran is attacked.
“They threaten to commit evil,” but “if evil is committed, the counterattack will definitely be mutually strong,” Khamenei said.
Tehran has always asserted that its nuclear program is peaceful and that nuclear weapons go against the Islamic republic’s doctrine.
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