Iran warns further attacks will draw a ‘more painful’ response

Iran has warned that any further attack on its interests or security will meet a response that is “faster, heavier and more painful,” as the conflict with the United States and Israel remains locked in a stalemate.

The warning came from parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf after renewed strikes. He said the United States should understand “before it is too late” that the rules of the war had changed. His remarks followed a US Central Command statement that American forces had hit three Iranian tankers after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.

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From now on, any attack against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response.

A preliminary ceasefire accord reached in June has unravelled, and diplomatic efforts to restore the peace process have made little progress. After military action paused for much of August, attacks resumed between the two sides.

Tehran has retained the ability to strike US interests in neighbouring countries and to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict, the waterway carried a fifth of global oil supplies. Iran has also imposed a blockade there, while the United States has blocked Iranian oil exports since mid-April. US Central Command said that by September 6 it had redirected 92 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two to enforce the blockade.

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They speak of economic pressure and isolation, of breaking off financial ties, and they think that by pressuring the economy of a country they can change the decisions of its people.

Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said the government and the Iranian people, rather than the US Treasury, were responsible for reforming the country’s economy. Deputy minister Morteza Zamanian said an “Economic War Headquarters” was intensifying efforts to address problems caused by the war. Iran, the third-largest producer in OPEC, previously exported 90 percent of its crude through the Kharg Island terminal.

The disruption has pushed up fuel prices globally and created pressure for US President Donald Trump ahead of November’s midterm elections. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, however, said oil was still passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

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I have to clarify one point: the responsibility of reforming Iran’s economy is with its government and people, not with the US treasury.