Iran will respond beyond enemy’s expectations to any aggression, Qalibaf warns

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that any aggression against Iran’s territorial integrity would be met with a response exceeding the enemy’s expectations.

Speaking at the opening of a parliamentary session, Qalibaf said Iran would not be intimidated by threats and would respond forcefully to any attack on its territory.

He said the United States must change its conduct, abandon its policies of coercion and greed, and take concrete steps to address violations of past commitments before its claims could be trusted.

Qalibaf said Washington had failed to understand the difference between Iran today and the monarchy of the past, when foreign powers exerted significant influence over the country’s internal affairs.

Iran was no longer a colony under Western influence but an independent and powerful regional force, he said, adding that attempts by imperialist and Zionist powers to regain control over Iran’s sovereignty and future had become a nightmare.

“Through its miscalculations and by initiating a conflict against Iran, the United States has found itself trapped in a quagmire,” Qalibaf said. “To escape this quagmire, the US must take the necessary steps itself.”

He said sanctions and threats of military action were a continuation of longstanding US policies aimed at achieving regional hegemony.

Iran was prepared to defend its territorial integrity, national sovereignty and interests, Qalibaf said, adding that threats of war or the assassination of its leadership would not force the country to abandon its rights and interests.