Iran Rejects US Threats, Warns of Regional Retaliation Amid Rising Tensions

Iran's leadership has dismissed recent American threats and declared readiness for a broad military confrontation, according to two former Iranian officials who spoke with The New York Times. Over the past weekend, messages exchanged via Qatar and Pakistan revealed that then-President Donald Trump threatened severe strikes on Iran's civilian infrastructure, including power plants, if Tehran did not return to negotiations. Iran responded defiantly, expressing no fear of war and promising a powerful retaliation if attacked, while rejecting US conditions and reverting to a previous memorandum of understanding favored by Iranian experts.

This escalation follows a series of regional incidents in the last month demonstrating Tehran's influence over critical shipping routes and energy infrastructure. Yemen's Houthi rebels blocked the Bab al-Mandab strait, oil facilities in Saudi Arabia were attacked by militias in Iraq, and two ships were set ablaze at Egypt's Damietta port following drone strikes. In response to threats against energy installations, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Trump, emphasizing the need to prioritize dialogue to avoid a wider conflict.

Regional analysts note that the current struggle aims to reshape the security architecture around control of the Strait of Hormuz. Ali Vaez, head of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, identified the July 17 drone attack in Jordan, which killed three US soldiers, as a turning point showcasing Iran's intelligence and missile capabilities. Meanwhile, the US faces shortages of interceptor missiles, especially Patriot missiles, and its maximum pressure tactics have failed to alter Tehran's behavior.

Within Iran's leadership, voices mocked the Trump administration. Ebrahim Razai, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, warned on social media that any attack on Iran would result in "returning the entire region and its facilities to the Stone Age." Conservative commentator Seyed Mohammad Marandi ridiculed Trump's decision to delay an attack, posting a picture of a chicken as a critical nickname for the president, and stressed that Iran remains steadfast in its position.