Iran has dismissed threats from the United States and Israel, calling them a blatant violation of international law and asserting that neither country could harm Tehran.
The statement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem on Sunday, where he declared that both nations were committed to countering Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional influence.
Netanyahu claimed Israel had already inflicted a “mighty blow” on Iran since the start of the war in Gaza and, with the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, expressed confidence in “finishing the job.”
Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed the threats.
“When it comes to a country like Iran, they cannot do a damn thing,” he said. He also accused Washington of hypocrisy, stating, “You cannot threaten Iran on one hand and claim to support dialogue on the other hand.”
Trump has signalled a willingness to negotiate with Tehran while simultaneously reinstating his “maximum pressure” campaign to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has remained critical of Trump’s administration, accusing it of failing to uphold past commitments.
In 2018, Trump withdrew the U.S. from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers and reimposed sanctions that have severely damaged Iran’s economy.
In response, Iran accelerated its uranium enrichment to 60% purity, just short of weapons-grade levels, while maintaining that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
Despite Baghaei’s defiant remarks, Iran’s regional influence has significantly weakened. Its network of allied groups—known as the “Axis of Resistance,” which includes Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shi’ite militias in Iraq and Syria—has suffered heavy blows since the Gaza conflict began. The situation worsened for Iran with the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Over the past 16 months, Israel has intensified its campaign against Iran-linked groups, assassinating leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah while engaging in limited direct strikes with Tehran.
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