British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the Iranian regime not to “underestimate the resolve of the U.S.” following hostile measures by Tehran.
“They don’t want a war with Iran. But if American interests are attacked, they will retaliate,” he warned.
Hunt’s statement comes amid a series of aggressive actions carried out by the Iranian regime like Tehran’s involvement in sabotaging four oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. U.S. intelligence believes Iran attacked two Saudi ships, one belonging to the United Arab Emirates and a Norwegian vessel, with explosive charges earlier this month. On Sunday, a Katyusha rocket landed close to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The attack was reportedly carried out by an Iran-allied Shiite militia.
In response to growing Iranian aggression, the U.S. has pulled out all non-emergency staff from their diplomatic missions in Iraq and placed the troops stationed in the region on high alert.
British newspaper The Telegraph reported the Foreign Secretary’s statement:
Britain has told Iran not to underestimate the resolve of the US, warning that if American interests were attacked then Washington would retaliate.”I would say to the Iranians: Do not underestimate the resolve on the US side,” Jeremy Hunt, Foreign Secretary, told reporters on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.”They don’t want a war with Iran. But if American interests are attacked, they will retaliate. And that is something that the Iranians needs to think about very, very carefully.”
The rhetoric coming from the regime’s top brass matches Iran’s military aggression. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani rejected President Donald Trump’s earlier offer for talks. “Today’s situation is not suitable for talks, and our choice is resistance only,” Rouhani said. Major General Hossein Salami, chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, taunted the resolve of the U.S. armed forces: “The difference between us and them is that they are afraid of war and don’t have the will for it.”
The regime also poses a threat to its European partners as many of them continue to work diligently to keep the Obama-era nuclear deal afloat. Rouhani threatened to flood Europe with drugs and refugees if the EU countries fail to get Tehran’s faltering economy back on track. “You are obliged,” Rouhani told European leader earlier this month, “for your own security, for protecting your youths against drugs as well as controlling influx of immigrants.”
Reeling under Tehran’s pressure, the EU has started to set up a unique payment mechanism, which will allow Iranian oil imports into Europe by circumventing U.S. sanctions.
But unlike the European leaders, President Donald Trump has refused to budge despite Tehran’s bullying. He has repeatedly warned the regime not to engage in hostile actions against the United States. “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again,” the U.S. President tweeted Saturday.
Hunt is correct in warning the Mullahs to refrain from testing the U.S. resolve with President Trump at its helm. The Islamic regime, after it enjoyed eight years of the Obama administration, is still having a tough time adjusting to the new reality. Trump, unlike the typical career politicians in Europe and the Western world, may respond in kind to acts of Iranian aggression against the U.S. and its allies.
Trump to Tehran: ‘If they do anything they will suffer greatly.’
[Cover image via YouTube]
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