Iran’s top legislator warns enemies about scope of future defensive measures

Majlis (Parliament) Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf made the remarks in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with fresh military action.

“Iran’s decisions and actions to safeguard its interests and exercise legitimate and rightful self-defense will not necessarily be predictable or similar to those taken in the past,” Qalibaf wrote.

“The Iranian people’s response to any adventurism or hostile act will be extensive, uncompromising, and even unexpected,” he added.

“Iran seeks permission from no one to defend itself.”

The menacing comments issued by Trump alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, has sparked similar outrage among other Iranian officials, members of the nation, itself, and the Islamic Republic’s allies.

President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a firm rebuttal to Trump’s threat, vowing that any further aggression would be met with a crushing and "regret-inducing" response.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that the United States bore full responsibility for the potential consequences of any act of aggression it could take against Iran, warning that the Islamic Republic would not hesitate to respond decisively.

The former recalled the fallout from the illegal and unprovoked Israeli-American war on Iran in June, which was faced with calculated and concerted defensive and retaliatory operations by the Iranian Armed Forces, stressing that the consequences of any fresh transgression “will rest squarely with the US.”

Russia also reacted to Trump’s threat, urging all parties to refrain from escalation.

“We believe that it is necessary to refrain from any steps that could escalate tensions in the region, and we believe that, first and foremost, dialogue with Iran is necessary,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova likewise called on the "hotheads" to abandon escalation of tensions with the Islamic Republic.

She additionally called the Israeli regime’s own threats of staging new military action against the country a cause for legitimate concern.