The Iranian Supreme National Security Council has told Donald Trump to ‘watch himself’ or be eliminated.
The Council’s secretary, Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, said in a statement: ‘The nation of Iran is not afraid of your empty threats.
‘Even those bigger than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation. Watch yourselves, or you might be eliminated!’
The remarks come after Trump said earlier that he thought the war was ‘very complete’ and ‘far ahead of schedule’.
Despite this, Iran has doubled down on its defensive measures, launching new attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries today.
Sirens warned of incoming missiles in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and in Bahrain, while Saudi Arabia said it destroyed two drones and Kuwait’s National Guard said it shot down six drones.
Later in the morning, sirens also sounded in Jerusalem, and sounds of explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv as Israel’s defence systems worked to intercept incoming fire, not long after the military said it detected an Iranian missile launch.
‘We are definitely not looking for a ceasefire,’ Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf wrote on X.
‘We believe that the aggressor should be punched in the mouth so that he learns a lesson, so that he will never think of attacking our beloved Iran again.’
Oil prices have fallen back below $90 per gallon, and Trump seems to think the conflict is almost over, even if his own Defence Department thinks it may linger for a while longer.
Despite thinking the war might end soon, Trump took to social media and said that if Iran stops the flow of oil in the Strait of Hormuz, the US would make it ‘make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back.’
Dr Bamo Nouri, senior lecturer in International Relations at the University of West London, told Metro that Trump’s claim is less of a definitive assessment and more of a calculated political message.
‘With global inflation still fragile, supply chains strained, and the ever-present risk of energy disruption through the Strait of Hormuz, the administration is under pressure to demonstrate control over a situation that many critics argue was entered without a clear strategic roadmap,’ he said.
‘The financial burden alone is staggering; modern US military operations can cost hundreds of millions of dollars per day, with recent Middle East deployments estimated at roughly $8-10 billion per month when accounting for carrier groups, air operations, logistics, and munitions – costs ultimately borne by American taxpayers. This particular war is estimated to cost the US $2billion per day!’
Instead, by claiming the war is almost ‘completed’, Trump might be trying to calm down markets and buy more time, Dr Nouri said.
‘While Washington may have initiated a war of choice, Tehran appears to be approaching it as a war of survival – arguably entering the confrontation with clearer expectations of a prolonged struggle,’ he added.
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