Iran has delivered a “firm and rational” response to the United States and expects Washington to decide whether to prevent another war, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday, warning that any renewed attack would trigger a response beyond geographical boundaries.
Speaking during a parliamentary session, Ghalibaf, who also leads Iran's negotiating team in talks with Washington, said Tehran was prepared for both diplomacy and military confrontation.
“Iran has delivered a firm and rational response to the American side, and now the ball is in America’s court to prevent war,” he said.
He stressed that Iran's armed forces remained at the highest level of defensive readiness.
“If Washington makes another strategic mistake, it should know that this time it will face a new battlefield and will find itself even more desperate to seek a way out,” he warned.
Tehran warns against renewed military action
Ghalibaf accused Washington of pursuing a longstanding policy aimed at dominating Iran, saying the United States had shifted from relying on compliant governments to using military, economic and psychological pressure.
He said Iran would not surrender to military threats and warned that any miscalculation by Washington could provoke an unpredictable response.
Ghalibaf also said Iran's military response to any renewed attack would not be confined by geographical boundaries, without providing further details.
Diplomatic contacts continue over Hormuz and sanctions
The remarks come amid indirect diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington following the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that Tehran continued exchanging messages with Washington through mediators.
He added that Iran's revised seven-stage diplomatic proposal could be fully implemented within two days.
Baqaei said progress towards restoring security in the Strait of Hormuz depended on Washington ending its naval blockade and addressing Iranian demands, including sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets.
Tehran has maintained that it remains willing to pursue a diplomatic solution while keeping its armed forces ready to respond to any renewed military action.
