Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated further as Secretary of the National Security Council of Iran Ali Larijani issued a sharp response to US President Donald Trump’s warning over the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Larijani said the Iranian nation “that loves Ashura is not afraid of empty threats,” signalling Tehran’s defiant stance against Washington’s rhetoric.
He said stronger powers in the past had failed to eliminate the Iranian nation, adding that threats would not force Iran to back down.
“Before issuing such statements, the United States should think about its own fate,” Larijani warned.
The remarks came after Trump issued a stern warning to Iran over any attempt to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor.
The US president said Washington would respond with far harsher action if Iran interfered with oil supplies in the strategic waterway.
“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” Trump said.
He also warned that the US could target locations that are “easily destroyable,” adding that their destruction could make it nearly impossible for Iran to rebuild itself as a state.
Trump cautioned that such a scenario could bring “death, fire and fury” to Iran, though he expressed hope that the situation would not escalate to that point.
He also noted that the continued flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz benefits countries such as China and other major importers that rely heavily on the route for energy supplies.
