President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday warned the United States against its pattern of hostility against Iran, saying that it will regret playing with fire.
“Iran’s power is in its deterrence. We do not seek confrontation or war with anyone, but the enemies should be aware that war with Iran would be the mother of all wars and peace with Iran would be the mother of all peace,” he told Iranian diplomats based overseas in a meeting in Tehran, IRNA reported.
“We are decent people who have guaranteed the security of the region’s waterway throughout history. Mr. Trump, don’t play with the lion’s tail, this will only produce remorse,” the president said.
Rouhani was referring to his recent remarks in which he said no one in the region will be able to ship oil from the Strait of Hormuz if Iran is barred from exporting its crude. Although he did not elaborate the point further at the time, his statement was seen as a veiled threat to shut down the strategic waterway in the Persian Gulf that is a vital shipping lane for international oil supplies.
Different Options
“They assume that…we want to close the Strait of Hormuz. There are many other ways and blocking the strait is one of the simple ones,” he stated, without saying what other measures Tehran could take to counter the latest US acrimony to cut off Iran’s oil exports.
The president, however, did stress that negotiating with Donald Trump’s America would be tantamount to giving in to his unrealistic demands and compromising the country’s progress and achievements.
“The person who has come to power in the United States is not only at war with the preceding administration but is repeatedly acting against global interests and, to some extent, his own interest. This issue is not a threat only to Iran. Rather is a threat to the entire world.” Washingtonian rulers are not in a position to incite the Iranian people to act against their country’s security and interests, he said.
“You have clearly demonstrated your hostility toward the Iranian people. When you say you are not going to allow Iran’s crude oil to be exported, it means you will not allow medicine and essential goods to enter [the country]. It means you want to put the people under an economic siege and then claim that you support the Iranian nation. Who is going to believe that?” he told the controversial US president and his unstable and beleaguered administration.
Ties With Neighbors
Rouhani went on to say that his government is prepared to extend a hand of friendship to its neighbors and regional countries, including Saudi Arabia.
But Riyadh has to revise its attitude, let go of obstinacy and express its willingness to have normal relations, he added.
In 2016, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran over the storming of its embassy in Tehran, which took place after the execution of the Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.
“The same is true for the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. In the new environment, we are seeking to revise the relationship with these countries,” the president said, adding that Iran does not intend to commit aggression against other countries.
