TEHRAN: Iranian military and political leaders have issued a defiant response to recent US threats, vowing to defend their sovereignty with force and rejecting Washington’s demand to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as a condition for any ceasefire.
Spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces, Ibrahim Zolfaqari, delivered a sharp rebuke to American rhetoric, stating that the Iranian nation and its armed forces would respond decisively to any aggression. “We will cut off the legs of those who attack their country,” Zolfaqari declared. “History is a witness that Iran has never bowed down to the enemy.”
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards also weighed in, dismissing former US President Donald Trump’s recent statements as “ridiculous.” In a firm statement, the Guards asserted that the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global shipping route—would not be opened for the enemies of the Iranian nation.
Meanwhile, the head of the Iranian Parliamentary National Security Commission, Ibrahim Azizi, offered a pointed response to Trump’s demands. Addressing the former US president directly, Azizi remarked that in the event of a maritime regime change in the region, Trump’s dream of regime change had come true. “The Strait of Hormuz will definitely reopen,” Azizi said, “but not for you.”
The escalating war of words comes after Trump made a ceasefire conditional on the reopening of the strategic waterway. He issued a stark warning, threatening that unless the Strait of Hormuz is opened, the United States would “completely destroy Iran.”
Iran’s latest statements reflect a hardening of its position amid heightened regional tensions. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical flashpoint, with a significant portion of the world’s oil transit passing through its waters. Tehran has repeatedly signaled its willingness to control access to the strait in response to perceived threats or hostile actions.
As diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire remain stalled, Iran’s leadership has made clear that it will not yield to pressure, framing the confrontation as a historic struggle against foreign domination. The exchange of threats has fueled international concern over the potential for a wider military conflict in the region.
