Iran’s Supreme Leader dismisses US attack threat, vows tough response to internal unrest

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has dismissed the possibility of a US military attack on Iran, but warned that any attempt by Washington to instigate rebellion within the country would be met with a strong and decisive response.

Khamenei expressed confidence that a direct attack from the United States was unlikely, stating, “They threaten to do something bad, but we don’t think, it’s even unlikely, that they will commit evil from outside. But even if they do, our response will be tough,” Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

Khamenei also addressed the possibility of US efforts to foster unrest within Iran, emphasizing that such attempts would not succeed. “If all of a sudden they think of rebelling inside the country, the Iranian people themselves will give them an answer,” he said, reiterating his belief in the resilience of the Iranian population to defend the nation from internal turmoil.

His comments came during the sermon marking the Feast of Eid al-Fitr, a significant religious observance for Muslims. The statement underscores Iran's longstanding stance against foreign intervention and its commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty.

Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian stated on March 30 that the Islamic Republic has rejected direct negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. This was Iran's first official response to a letter sent by President Donald Trump to the country's Supreme Leader.

Pezeshkian indicated that Iran is open to the possibility of indirect talks with the US, with the response being delivered through the sultanate of Oman. However, he also emphasized that such discussions have not made any significant progress since Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 during his first term.

Pezeshkian’s announcement marks a significant shift in Iran’s stance, reflecting how much has changed since his election six months ago, when he campaigned on a promise to re-engage with the West.

Since Trump’s election and the restart of his "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran, Iran's rial currency has plummeted. Initially, Pezeshkian had kept the door open for talks. However, that changed after Iran’s 85-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, strongly criticized Trump in February, declaring that talks with his administration "are not intelligent, wise, or honorable." Following this, the Iranian president quickly adopted a tougher stance on the US.

By Vafa Guliyeva