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Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary issued a direct warning to President Trump on Tuesday, following the president’s caution to Iran regarding any attempts to block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Ali Larijani, the council’s secretary, addressed Trump with a sharp response on social media platform X, as translated by The Associated Press. “Iran, a nation ready for sacrifice, does not fear your hollow threats,” Larijani declared. “Even those greater than you have failed to dismantle Iran. Be mindful not to face elimination yourself.”
Larijani’s comments were in response to Trump’s remarks on Truth Social made on Monday.
President Trump had boldly stated, “Should Iran undertake actions that disrupt the oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz, the United States will retaliate with a force twenty times more severe than any previous measures.”
He elaborated, “Furthermore, we will target easily destructible sites, rendering Iran incapable of rebuilding as a nation — unleashing death, fire, and fury upon them — although I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to this. This is a gesture from the United States to China and other nations heavily reliant on the Hormuz Strait, and I trust it will be duly appreciated.”
Larijani’s pressure comes after Iran fired a new salvo of attacks on Israel, United Arab Emirates, Saudia Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain on Tuesday, the AP reported. In Bahrain, an attack on a residential building killed a 29-year-old woman and injured eight others.
Gas prices have surged in the aftermath of the U.S.-Israeli joint military operation in Iran that began on Feb. 28. The conflict led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is located between Oman and Iran and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Two ships have passed through the strait in the last 24 hours, with the average typically being around 60 ships, according to hormuzstraitmonitor.com. On Tuesday, 157 ships are stranded, including 98 oil tankers and 34 bulk carriers.
The per-barrel price of West Intermediate crude oil, the benchmark for North American markets, is just over $90 as of Tuesday morning. The national average for gas in the U.S. reached $3.54, according to AAA.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard said in a statement that it refuses to “allow the export of even a single liter of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice.
Trump has argued that the spike in oil prices are a “very small price to pay” for eliminating the Iran’s alleged nuclear threat. But this has lawmakers worried that as the spring and summer seasons commence and more Americans travel, the price of gas will impact people’s wallets amid concerns over affordability.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) criticized the administration for appearing to not consider energy prices before the initial attack last month.
“For heaven’s sakes, are you telling me you didn’t game this one out?” she told Punchbowl News last week. “I’m starting to think they didn’t game this one out.”
The Associated Press contributed.