Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a warning on X that Tehran would “rain down hell” if the United States resumes attacks, framing the statement as an ultimatum aimed at ending the eight‑month conflict between the two nations.
Araghchi’s post outlined a two‑day proposal: the United States must meet all of Iran’s demands, including an end to hostilities on all fronts, and the threat of further violence would be withdrawn. “Or choose war, and see our alert and battle‑hardened warriors rain down hell,” he wrote, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
In a separate interview reported by CNN, U.S. President Donald Trump said that renewed strikes on Iran were “highly unlikely” if negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz progressed. Trump added that U.S. forces had three aircraft carriers “fully locked and loaded” in the region and that the United States could strike 38 bridges in Iran in “literally one hour.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry echoed the foreign minister’s warning, stating that the country would “not go easy on American targets” in the region. The statements came after reports that an oil tanker had caught fire after striking a naval mine east of the Strait of Hormuz, an incident the Iranian navy attributed to a ship traveling in a no‑go zone with its identification systems turned off.
An adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force, Brigadier‑General Ali Belali, also issued a threat on Telegram, saying that weapons had been “secured for years to come” and that the armed forces were ready to respond with “devastating and severe” force if the enemy made a mistake. Belali highlighted upgrades to Iran’s capabilities in the post‑Ramadan War period.
The escalating rhetoric follows the U.S. midterm elections, in which the Democratic Party gained control of both chambers of Congress. Araghchi alleged that the elections had delayed negotiations, but he expressed patience, noting that “it will take some time for things to settle down and for the atmosphere to become conducive to the mediators resuming their visits.”
Source: Al Jazeera
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