IRAN’S parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said yesterday that US President Trump’s threat of an ‘economic D-Day’ next Tuesday shows Washington is unable to prevail militarily.
‘The Americans and the Israelis have realised that they cannot handle Iran … in the field of a hard military war, so they have entered into a cognitive war and an economic war,’ he said during a visit to neighbouring Iraq.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also condemned Trump’s threat, calling it ‘economic terrorism’ meant to divert attention from US’s economic problems.
He said in a social media post that doubling down on failed US policies would further increase anti-American sentiment.
Trump threatened Iran on Truth Social with ‘the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country’ and calling on allies to stand with the US.
Trump wrote: ‘ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences.’
Major General Ali Abdollahi, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, said: ‘I emphasise that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with comprehensive, intelligent and up-to-date readiness in all areas – ground, naval, air, air defence, space and cyber – will confront any miscalculation and conventional or modern threats by the enemies with revolutionary, forceful, regret-inducing and devastating responses,’ he warned.
Elsewhere in the message, General Abdollahi described Defence Industry Day as a manifestation of Iran’s ‘indigenous and deterrent power’ in the face of unjust sanctions and the alignment of hostile powers against the Islamic Republic.
‘Defence Industry Day is a manifestation of the grandeur of the indigenous and deterrent power of the powerful Iran in the face of unjust sanctions and the alignment of the child-killing arrogant system,’ he said.
He praised the contribution of Iran’s defence workers, saying they had helped raise the country’s deterrence capabilities through faith and scientific expertise.
General Abdollahi said: ‘What has been achieved in this ministry in recent years goes beyond the production of military equipment. It is a deterrent defence industrial revolution.’
