Iran threatened to teach the US a lesson if it restarts its military campaign – while President Trump revealed he’s “thinking about” the red line which will end the cease-fire he described as being on “life support.”
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, cranked up the war of words Monday after President Trump emphatically rejected the regime’s latest proposal, which he branded “totally unacceptable.”
“Our armed forces are ready to respond and to teach a lesson for any aggression,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X.
“Mistaken strategy and mistaken decisions will always lead to mistaken results— the entire world has already understood this. We are prepared for all options; they will be astonished.”
Tehran remains bullish, with its President Masoud Pezeshkian vowing to consolidate so-called victories achieved on the battlefield, as reported by the state’s Tasnim News Agency.
Blasting US-Israeli aggression, he claimed the regime had “prevented the enemy from achieving its objectives.”
Since the start of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, Iran has lost more than 250 of its leaders – including senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard henchmen, and around 90% of its navy.
The regime claims to have suffered at least $270 billion worth of damage.
The cease-fire began on April 8 after 40 days of conflict and was indefinitely extended two weeks later – but Trump warned it’s hanging by a thread.
“I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support… when the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1 percent chance of living,’” he told reporters in the Oval Office.
He rubbished the Iranian proposal sent to him – describing it as a “piece of garbage.”
“I didn’t even finish reading it,” he added.
Trump is en route to China on Wednesday, where he will meet Chinese President Xi – and told reporters he’s thinking about a red line to end the cease-fire.
“We’ll be thinking about it on the flight,” he said. “We’ll be thinking about it for the next little while.”
Trump said he doesn’t think the US needs help with Iran when asked if he thought Xi could play a role in striking a deal.
“They’ll either do the right thing or we’ll finish the job,” he added, referring to the Islamic Republic.
Iran hit back at Trump – with Ghalibaf threatening, “There is no alternative but to accept the rights of the Iranian people as laid out in the 14-point proposal.
“Any other approach will be completely inconclusive; nothing but one failure after another. The longer they drag their feet, the more American taxpayers will pay for it.”
Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, described its proposal as “reasonable and generous” and said the regime would continue to fight wherever necessary.
He claimed the US had not been serious during peace talks, citing so-called “unreasonable demands.”
Tehran has continued to tighten its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, striking deal with Iraq and Pakistan to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the region, according to sources.
Other countries are exploring similar deals, sources said, in a move that could normalize Tehran’s control of the waterway on a more permanent basis.
Tehran is also calling for an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon where Israeli forces are fighting Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants.
Washington’s demands include ending Iran’s nuclear program and lifting its chokehold on the strait.
Israel reportedly fears that the US will “cut a deal – any deal – with last-minute concessions,” an Israeli source told CNN.
Earlier this month, the White House posted a meme depicting Trump clutching six UNO cards with the caption, “I have all the cards.”
