Iran is seeking to warn the United States against airstrikes. The warnings come amid US President Donald Trump’s outreach to Iran and also the US positioning warplanes in Diego Garcia.
Iran assumes that the US might be willing to carry out airstrikes if it doesn’t come to some kind of agreement. Iran’s regime wants the US to know that it will strike back if these threats materialize. At the moment, this is dangerous brinkmanship by Iran.
Iran is using the nuclear program to potentially get some concessions, even as it seeks closer ties with Russia and China.
Iran ups rhetoric against the United States, Donald Trump
It is clear that Iran is increasing its rhetoric against the US to send a message. For instance, a video of Iran’s Amir Ali Hajizadeh was distributed online showing him warning the US against a strike.
Hajizadeh, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) aerospace unit, has warned the US that Iran could strike back against US bases in the region.
“The Americans have around ten military bases in the region – at least near Iran – and 50,000 troops,” Hajizadeh told Iranian state media on Monday. “It’s like they’re sitting in a glass house. And when you’re in a glass house, you don’t throw stones at others.”
The point Iran is making is that while the US might be able to carry out precision strikes on Iran, that Iran can strike at US bases in the Gulf. This includes US bases in Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.
Iran suspects that this might make the US think twice because Iran can destabilize so many places. Iran has used proxies to attack US forces in Iraq in the past. Iran also attacked Saudi Arabia in 2019 using drones and cruise missiles. It has also targeted the UAE by working with the Houthis in Yemen. Currently, the US is bombing the Houthis using the USS Harry Truman carrier strike group.
Iranian state media blanketed its INRA website on March 31 with warnings to the US.
“Iran has condemned US President Donald Trump’s threat to conduct military strikes against the country, warning Washington of the consequences of any aggression,” the first report said.
“The director general for the Americas at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued an official warning to the United States Interests Section in Tehran to warn Washington against any hostile actions,” a second report said.
A third report noted, “Iranian Minister of foreign Affairs, Abbas Araqchi, says any threats against Iran will lead to regret for its enemies. Araqchi said in an interview with Al-Masirah, a Yemeni TV channel, that the claim suggesting that attacking Yemen is a prelude to attacking Iran is nothing new and that Iran has heard similar threats in the past.”
A report on Sunday also noted that Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi “has reiterated that the Islamic Republic will not engage in negotiations under pressure or threats, emphasizing that the country is ready both to thwart threats and engage in diplomacy.”
It went on to note that “speaking to Al-Alam News Network on Friday on the sidelines of Quds Day rallies, Araqchi dismissed the possibility of direct negotiations with the United States but stated that indirect talks could continue if necessary, as happened in the past.”
