Iran Warns It Will Strike Back If Nuclear Weapons Are Used Against It

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stepped in front of reporters Tuesday with a blunt message: if nuclear weapons are ever used against his country, Tehran will answer. His words — that Iran's hands are not tied — landed as a clear warning rather than a negotiating line.

Gharibabadi also made plain that Iran doesn't consider the fighting over. He said the country remains in a state of war following recent attacks on Qeshm Island. And he pushed back hard on the idea that Tehran started any of it: the Islamic Republic did not seek war, did not start one, and had the conflict imposed on it, he said.

Diplomacy isn't dead, though. According to Gharibabadi, Tehran is still trading messages with Washington through Qatari mediators, and an agreement could be reached if Iran's conditions are met. He also made a point of saying Iran is neither waiting on US elections nor shaping its policies around them.

That tracks with a flurry of signals out of Tehran the same day. Al-Arabiya reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf urged the military to respond positively to Qatar's proposal for ending the Middle East conflict. People familiar with the matter said Iran nonetheless expects the US to resume airstrikes — even as its top political leadership leans toward accepting the Qatari plan, which would see Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington lifting its naval blockade.

Iran's military brass isn't softening the terms. Armed Forces Chief of the General Staff Ali Abdollahi said Tuesday that any end to the conflict requires the US to recognize Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, lift its naval blockade and sanctions, and pay compensation for war damage. He also called for an end to the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon and for security guarantees.

Ghalibaf echoed the standoff from parliament, telling the Consultative Assembly that Tehran sent a strong and rational response and that the ball is now in the US court. But he warned Iran is ready for renewed fighting with its finger on the trigger. Markets took note of the tension — gold slipped $35.60, sitting at $3,910.16, down 0.9%.