Iran Treats Every Enemy Threat as Real and Is Strengthening Preparedness: Acting Defence Minister

Dragon Media News Desk

Iran’s Acting Defence Minister Seyed Majid Ebn Al-Reza has said Tehran regards every threat from its adversaries as real and serious, rejecting the suggestion that such warnings should be dismissed as mere psychological warfare.

Al-Reza made the remarks on social media platform X after US President Donald Trump said he had temporarily suspended fresh attacks against Iran.

“We will neither be taken by surprise nor remain passive,” Al-Reza wrote. “We use threats as a basis for increasing our preparedness, strengthening our deterrence and developing our power.”

Trump had earlier claimed on Truth Social that the United States was fully prepared to employ overwhelming military force against Iran but had postponed immediate action after receiving requests from Iran and other West Asian countries.

According to Trump, a possible agreement would include the immediate and complete reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to what he described as Iran’s nuclear threat.

Iranian officials have already rejected Trump’s earlier claim that Tehran asked Washington to halt military attacks.

Claim of Hormuz Agreement Rejected

Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Sunday that Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi had agreed to a compromise proposal brokered by Qatar and the United States.

According to the report, vessels would be permitted to enter the Persian Gulf through waters controlled by Iran and leave through Omani waters.

Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, however, quickly rejected the report, citing a source close to the Iranian negotiating team.

Fars also quoted a military source as saying that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed for as long as the United States continued what the source described as hostile and malicious actions.

The source said vessels would be permitted to transit only through routes designated by Iran and with the coordination and authorisation of the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Iranian military source warned that other routes were unsafe and stressed that Tehran’s policy regarding the strategically important waterway remained unchanged.

Military Strikes and Retaliation Amid Rising Tensions

Iran tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz on February 28 following joint US and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.

Tehran subsequently barred the safe passage of vessels owned by, affiliated with or operating on behalf of Israel and the United States.

In recent days, the US military has carried out several waves of strikes against Iranian targets. Washington said the operations were launched in response to Iranian attacks on vessels in the strait and were intended to weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.

Iran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting US military bases and facilities across West Asia.

US media had previously reported that Washington and Israel were preparing further strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure.

Although Trump said fresh attacks had been suspended for the time being, Al-Reza made clear that Tehran did not consider the military threat to have passed.

The latest Iranian statements indicate that despite reports of a possible agreement, Tehran intends to maintain its military readiness, deterrence posture and existing policy on the Strait of Hormuz.