Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Ghalibaf, has warned the United States against making threats toward the Islamic Republic, stating that the country’s armed forces are fully prepared to respond if necessary.
Ghalibaf made the remarks on Sunday after US President Donald Trump threatened military action against Iran over its support for Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group.
Speaking during ongoing diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington, Ghalibaf dismissed the effectiveness of US threats, asserting that they would not influence Iran’s position.
“Don’t they think that if their threats had any effect, they would not have reached today’s state of desperation? We do not take American threats into account,” he said.
He added that the US should be cautious in its statements, stressing that Iran’s armed forces are ready to respond in a completely different manner if provoked.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Iran must immediately stop its proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble.
He warned that if Hezbollah continued its actions, the US would strike Iran very hard again, referring to previous military actions carried out last week.
The tensions come amid recent clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The fighting has raised concerns that it could undermine ongoing peace efforts between the US and Iran.
However, by Sunday evening, there were no reports of fresh Israeli strikes or continued fighting in the area.
The comments were made as US and Iranian officials held talks in Switzerland, supported by Pakistani and Qatari mediators.
The discussions followed the signing of a preliminary agreement earlier this week aimed at ending hostilities between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Iranian news agency Fars reported that Trump’s latest threats had led to the suspension of the talks. However, no official confirmation of this claim has been issued.
The memorandum of understanding signed by both countries earlier this month includes a mutual commitment to refrain from threatening or using force against one another.