Tehran: Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani on Tuesday brushed aside US President Donald Trump’s warnings of intensified military action as “empty threats” and cautioned him to “take care not to be eliminated”, amid escalating tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.
Larijani’s remarks, posted on X, directly responded to Trump’s post on Truth Social threatening overwhelming retaliation if Iran disrupts oil shipments through the strategic international shipping corridor.
“Iran is not afraid of your empty threats. Even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation,” Larijani stated.
He added a stark warning: “Take care of yourself not to be eliminated!”
Trump had posted: “If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit by us thus far.”
The verbal sparring occurs against the backdrop of a broader Middle East conflict ignited on February 28, when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The assassination triggered widespread retaliatory actions, drawing in multiple regional players.
Iran has since unleashed drone and missile barrages targeting Israel and US allies across the region. Iranian forces have repeatedly vowed to blockade “the export of a single litre of oil from the region” to supporters of the US and Israel for as long as the war persists.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint linking the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, normally facilitates nearly 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil transit.
No immediate US response to Larijani’s post was available.
