Iranian chief of staff vows ‘devastating’ response to any new US threats after Washington pledges financial penalties
tehran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday that the war with the United States should be brought to an end while Iran is in a position of “power and dignity,” as he defended Tehran’s recent agreement with Washington.
Speaking at an event, Pezeshkian said the outcome of the negotiations was a “major achievement” approved by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, according to a statement from the Iranian presidency.
“What was achieved during the negotiations was a major accomplishment,” he said, adding that members of the council who were directly involved had firmly defended it.
Pezeshkian described the recent agreement as “honourable and valuable,” rejecting criticism that Tehran had made concessions. “They cannot find even a single clause in this agreement that indicates surrender; all the commitments are related to the other side,” he said.
The Iranian president stressed, however, that the agreement did not mean Tehran would submit in the event of another attack. “We will under no circumstances bow to bullying,” he said. “We will stand against them until our last breath and give them a crushing response.”
Pezeshkian said the war should come to an end at some point, arguing that the current circumstances offered an appropriate opportunity. “It is better to end the war today, when we are in a position of power and dignity,” he said, arguing that the US had violated international rules by attacking Iranian schools, hospitals and infrastructure.
He said Iran’s military commanders and armed forces remain fully prepared to defend the country, while stressing the importance of maintaining domestic unity.
Iranian major general vows ‘devastating’ response to US sanctions
Iran said on Friday that its response to any new US threats would be “devastating” after Washington pledged to impose the toughest financial penalties in history with the aim of toppling the Iranian leadership.
The Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Major General Ali Abdollahi, said the Islamic Republic’s reaction would be broad and decisive.
“With preparedness across land, sea, air, air defence and cyberspace, Iran’s armed forces will respond to the enemy’s new threats with crushing, punishing and devastating responses,” Abdollahi was quoted as saying by Iranian media.
Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran must plan to overcome “unjust sanctions”, a day after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced what he described as the toughest sanctions ever imposed on Iran.
Bessent said the measures would be detailed on Monday, suggesting they could lessen the need for further major military operations.
Ghalibaf, one of Iran’s most influential political figures and Tehran’s top negotiator in talks with the US, said economic development and security were closely linked. He accused the US and Israel of waging economic and “cognitive” warfare after concluding they could not prevail in a direct military confrontation with Iran and Iraq.
“If you look at the resources and raw materials of Muslim countries, you will realise that our enemies come to plunder them,” Ghalibaf told Iranian and Iraqi business representatives in Baghdad, according to his Telegram channel. “Therefore, we must make plans to deal with the unjust sanctions so that we can overcome them.”
He also called for stronger economic ties between Baghdad and Tehran and said the two countries could use their national currencies in trade to reduce reliance on the US dollar.
