Ghalibaf: Iran will respond quickly, deterrently and painfully to any attack

The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, confirmed on Tuesday that Iran will respond quickly, deterrently and painfully to any attack or what he described as an “adventure” against it, renewing his warning about the repercussions of any threat to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency quoted Qalibaf as saying, in a speech he delivered before the start of the agenda of the public session of the Iranian Shura Council, that US attempts to impose a naval blockade, close air corridors, and exert “maximum pressure” on Iranian commercial arteries “will fail just as the attempts in 1981 failed,” if they are met with planning, economic management, and appropriate military responses.

He stressed that "the Iranian people, who have this ancient history, cannot be intimidated by siege or threats," considering that the US President's recent statements in the United Nations General Assembly, and what he described as insulting Iran, confirm the continuation of the previous American approach.

Qalibaf said: “The Americans must realize that the time of intimidation and threats has ended, and that the Islamic Republic will respond to any aggression or adventure with a harsh, painful, precise and swift response,” according to Tasnim Agency.

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Qalibaf described the US President’s statements regarding navigation in the Strait as a repetition of previous positions.

He said: "The Americans and other countries must know that, as we said before, in a region where we cannot sell oil, no one will be able to sell oil, and if we do not have security, no infrastructure will be safe."

Ghalibaf's statements come at a time when Iran is focusing on the Strait of Hormuz as a key card in the face of American pressure, with Iranian officials confirming that opening the Strait is linked to fulfilling conditions put forward by Tehran.