Iran’s top security official has issued a direct warning to President Donald Trump after the U.S. leader threatened a far heavier military response if Tehran interfered with oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, sharply escalating already dangerous tensions between Washington and Iran as the conflict in the Middle East enters a new phase.
The warning was delivered by Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who said Iran would not be intimidated by Trump’s language. In remarks reported by multiple outlets and reflected in the article linked from the Facebook post, Larijani said: “The Ashura nation of Iran is not afraid of your empty threats. Even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation. Be careful not to be eliminated!” The message was presented as coming from Tehran 10 days after the death of Iran’s supreme leader, underlining how closely the threat is tied to the current war and the upheaval inside Iran’s leadership.
