‘If You Strike, You Will Be Struck’: Qalibaf, Baqaei Issue Fresh Warnings to Washington
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Senior Iranian officials warned Washington against further military action while defending Tehran’s stance on the Strait of Hormuz and condemning NATO.
Key Developments
- Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned the US against further attacks.
- Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei accused NATO of admitting European complicity.
- Senior Iranian lawmakers vowed continued resistance following recent US strikes.
- Officials said Washington and its allies would bear responsibility for further escalation.
Several senior Iranian officials issued strongly worded statements on Thursday, warning the United States against further military action while accusing Western governments of complicity in the recent US-Israeli aggression against Iran.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Washington had failed to learn that “bullying and breaking its commitments” would no longer come without consequences.
“Let me say it clearly: If you strike, you will be struck,” Qalibaf said, cautioning the United States against further escalation.
Turning to maritime security, he reiterated Tehran’s position that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened only under arrangements determined by Iran, rejecting what he described as attempts by Washington to dictate conditions through military pressure.
Baqaei Accuses NATO
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei also escalated Tehran’s rhetoric, accusing NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte of effectively acknowledging Europe’s role in the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Baqaei said Rutte’s repeated remarks demonstrated that European governments had not remained neutral during what Tehran considers an unlawful military campaign.
He argued that countries providing military bases, infrastructure or logistical support for the operation could not evade responsibility for its consequences.
The spokesman also criticized Rutte’s public defense of the military operation, saying his remarks reflected “a subordinate mentality” and insisting that political praise could not erase responsibility for an illegal war.
His comments came after Rutte said on the sidelines of the NATO summit that around 5,000 aircraft had departed from Europe in support of the US military operation against Iran and described the strikes as “absolutely necessary.”
Continued Resistance
Other senior Iranian officials echoed the warnings.
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said the United States would receive a “crushing response,” adding that Americans would be deprived of security “wherever they are.”
Committee spokesman Ebrahim Rezaei urged Washington to expect “a powerful slap” from Iran, saying the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had taught Iranians not to fear the United States.
(Iranian Media, X, PC)
