“Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned the United States on Sunday against making threats at the Islamic republic, vowing that “our armed forces are ready to respond,” the South China Morning Post reports.
Said Ghalibaf: “Don’t they think that if their threats had any effect, they would not have reached today’s state of desperation? We do not take American threats into account.”
Iran isn’t Iraq. And this situation is a far cry from the 2003 U.S Invasion of Iraq. Iran is a lot bigger and stronger than their neighbor, and when they say they aren’t intimdated, they are probably telling the truth.
As speaker of parliament and a key negotiator, Ghalibaf has said Iran is giving America’s threats little or no credence. He’s also warned Washington that if it gambles with Iran again it will receive “an even greater lesson.”
Domestically, his rhetoric reinforces their hard‑line stance that Iran’s leadership will not back down under U.S. pressure. And internationally, Iran is sending a memo that any U.S. escalation—whether breaking a deal, attacking Iranian assets, or moving ground forces—could trigger missile and proxy attacks on American bases, shipping, and regional allies.
All of this smack talk has to be taken seriously by the markets. As a result, it heightens the perceived risk around key chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz and around U.S. assets in the Gulf, which is why you’ll often see oil prices spike on days when Ghalibaf or someone else send sharp warnings on Iran’s behalf.
