Tehran, August 3: Iran’s Acting Defense Minister, Syed Majid Ibn Al-Raza, stated on Sunday that Tehran takes every threat from its ‘enemies’ seriously and considers them real. He dismissed these threats as mere psychological pressure or intimidation tactics.
Al-Raza posted on the social media platform ‘X’, “We are neither surprised nor will we remain silent. We view every threat as a basis to enhance our preparedness, strengthen our deterrent capabilities, and further develop our strength.”
According to Xinhua News Agency, his remarks followed a statement from U.S. President Donald Trump, who indicated that he had decided to halt new attacks on Iran for the time being.
Trump wrote on his social media platform ‘Truth Social’ that the U.S. was fully prepared against Iran with military power and capabilities not seen since World War II. However, he noted that he had paused actions at the request of Iran and some other Middle Eastern nations. According to Trump, negotiations are underway for a potential agreement that would open the Hormuz Strait immediately, fully, and permanently, while eliminating the nuclear threat from Iran.
Earlier, some U.S. media reports claimed that the U.S. and Israel could initiate attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure over the weekend.
Israeli Channel 12 News reported on Sunday that Iran’s Foreign Minister, Syed Abbas Araghchi, had approved a deal mediated by Qatar and the U.S. Under this alleged agreement, ships would enter the Gulf from areas controlled by Iran and exit through Omani waters.
However, Iran’s semi-official news agency ‘Fars’ quickly dismissed this claim, citing a source close to the Iranian negotiation team.
Fars, quoting a military source, stated that as long as the U.S. continues its ‘hostile and malicious activities,’ the Hormuz Strait will remain closed. Only vessels using routes determined by Iran will be allowed to navigate, and they must obtain permission and coordination from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.
The source warned that other routes are not safe and emphasized that there has been no change in Iran’s policy regarding this critical waterway.
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