Iran says it alone will decide when attacks stop; responds sharply to trump’s remarks

Tehran: Tensions in the Middle East escalated further after Donald Trump said the ongoing conflict with Iran could end soon. Reacting strongly to the statement, Iran said only its armed forces would decide when attacks against the United States and Israel would stop.

Iran’s powerful military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said the future of the conflict and the stability of the region were no longer in the hands of the United States. In a statement, the force asserted that Iran’s armed forces would determine the course and conclusion of the war.

“The decision on when the war ends rests with us. The future balance of power in the region and the end of the conflict are now in the hands of Iran’s armed forces, not the United States,” the IRGC said in a statement.

The response came hours after Trump indicated that the war against Iran might soon come to an end. Speaking to Republican lawmakers at his golf club near Miami, Trump said the US had undertaken a “short mission” in the Middle East to eliminate certain threats and suggested the operation would not last long.

However, the US president also issued a strong warning to Iran regarding the strategic Strait of Hormuz. In a social media post, Trump said if Iran attempted to block the flow of oil through the crucial waterway, the country would face consequences “twenty times greater” than anything it had seen before.

He further warned that the United States could target strategic locations in Iran if necessary, though he added that he hoped such escalation would not occur. Trump said maintaining free movement through the Strait of Hormuz was essential for global energy supplies and for countries that rely on the route for oil shipments.

Meanwhile, the conflict has already disrupted global oil and gas supply chains, pushing fuel prices higher in many parts of the world, including the United States. Reports also indicate that Iran has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader.

Global oil prices surged to their highest levels since 2022 amid the conflict but later eased slightly after Washington signalled that the war might not last long. The easing of oil prices also led to a modest recovery in US stock markets.