Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei warned the US administration of the serious repercussions and consequences that could result from launching a military war against Iran. He stressed that adopting Israeli policies and carrying out military aggression against Tehran would impose heavy costs on American society.
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Baqaei said Washington must recognize the dangers of being drawn into Israel’s ambitions, describing Israel as a regime that commits genocide and pursues a policy of fueling wars. He warned that such policies could destabilize regional security, the global economy and international norms.
Regarding the two-day proposal, Baqaei said it remains on the table and represents the most logical initiative under the current circumstances. He added that if Washington meets Iran’s demands, positive developments could take place in the region within two days, and security would return to the Strait of Hormuz.
He noted that the Iranian Supreme Leader’s directives to respond swiftly to any attack, without geographical restrictions, had become the basis for the Iranian armed forces’ operations. He also confirmed that communications with both mediation parties were continuing, thanking Qatar and Pakistan for their efforts in this regard.
On the nuclear issue, Baqaei announced that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency had conducted inspections at the Bushehr nuclear facility several days ago.
Meanwhile, the Iranian military said ships entering unsafe routes in the Strait of Hormuz under US pressure were striking mines and sustaining damage. It added that commercial vessels could transit the strait through designated safe routes coordinated with Iran.
For his part, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Hossein Mohebi said the Strait of Hormuz was completely closed, arguing that incidents involving oil tankers in the waterway demonstrated that US President Donald Trump’s statements about reopening it were false.
Mohebi added that no mines had been removed from the strait, stressing that no one dared to enter the waterway and remove them.
In contrast, US President Donald Trump said he saw no reason to resume escalating the war against Iran at present. He maintained that the United States had already defeated Tehran and prevented it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In his first major interview since his party lost its majority in Congress, Trump did not deny, in an interview with CBS, that the war had contributed to the electoral setback. However, he stressed that he had no regrets about his decision to launch it.
Trump said that if he were given another opportunity to decide whether to attack Iran, he would make the same decision without hesitation. He insisted that Tehran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, "regardless of the political consequences."
He argued that although the decision to go to war might appear unproductive in the short term, it had been necessary to protect the United States. He added that the decision to attack Iran would be regarded as a very good historic decision, describing the prevention of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons as a major achievement.
Trump also said that if Iran had acquired nuclear weapons during his presidency, he would have faced even harsher criticism.
In a related development, Israel’s Maariv newspaper reported that the greatest concern within Israel’s security establishment was the possibility that Iran could succeed, during the remaining 50 days before the inauguration of the new US Congress, in undermining the option of a decisive American military action. Such a scenario, the newspaper said, could leave Israel facing Iran alone within a few months.
The newspaper quoted security officials as saying that the government tasked with being formed by Gadi Eisenkot would face urgent security challenges. These include the Iranian file, replenishing emergency stockpiles, the recruitment crisis, the departure of career military personnel, ongoing fronts of conflict, and violence by right-wing activists in the West Bank.
Source: News Agencies
