A high-ranking commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, Alireza Tangsiri, has stated that Tehran is prepared to respond to any aggression.
A senior Iranian naval commander asserted that Iran will not yield to American pressure to restart discussions regarding its nuclear program, emphasizing Tehran’s readiness to retaliate against any potential US attack.
In an interview on Saturday with al-Mayadeen TV, Alireza Tangsiri, who heads the IRGC Navy, dismissed President Trump’s recent demand that Iran engage in new nuclear negotiations.
“I am not concerned with Trump’s message, nor do I wish to analyze it,” Tangsiri stated. “I am aware of his threats and actions, and I am preparing to counter them. We are capable of striking any enemy base, regardless of its location. No one can attack us and escape retribution, even if we must pursue them to the Gulf of Mexico.”
Tangsiri also rejected any discussion about Iran’s missile capabilities or its support for regional groups. “Iran will never negotiate its missiles or the capabilities of the Resistance Front,” he declared, while also stressing Iran’s desire for peaceful relations with its neighbors: “We always offer a hand of friendship to regional countries. As Muslims, we pose no threat to our neighbors.”
These comments followed Trump’s remarks on Friday, where he confirmed sending a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, seeking negotiations on a nuclear agreement.
“You will have to decide,” Trump said. “Either we talk and resolve this, or very bad things will happen to Iran, which I don’t want. And if we have to resort to military action, it will be terrible.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi noted that the letter, while seemingly threatening, still presented “some opportunities” for Tehran.
This standoff is the result of long-standing tensions regarding Iran’s nuclear program. In 2015, Iran signed an agreement with the US, the EU, Russia, and other world powers, agreeing to limit its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions. However, in 2018, the US, under President Trump, unilaterally withdrew from the agreement, calling it a “horrible, one-sided deal” that failed to achieve its objectives.
Iran hasn’t excluded indirect talks but refuses to negotiate under pressure. It also insists that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
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