Iran’s Ghalibaf Warns US: "Era of Bullying and Extortion is Over"

"Era of bullying and extortion is over": Iran's Ghalibaf accuses US of "major violations"

Tehran, July 8

In a post on X, the senior Iranian official enumerated several "major violations" of the MoU committed by the US administration, indicating a severe breakdown in diplomatic commitments between the two countries.

According to the Parliament Speaker, these American actions include "violating Iranian adjustments in the Strait", "persistent threats of further strikes", "reinstating oil sanctions", "attacks on southern Iran", and "continued Zionist aggression" in Lebanon.

Issuing a firm warning against Washington's hardline approach and asserting Tehran's refusal to back down under intense military and economic pressure, Ghalibaf concluded his statement on a defiant note.

"The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere," he wrote on X. "We don't fold."

This fierce rhetorical retaliation from Tehran comes in direct response to a dramatic escalation of hostilities, with the United States launching extensive military operations against Iranian targets following fresh maritime incidents.

Providing operational details of the heavy bombardment, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it executed a series of counter-offensives on July 7, striking more than 80 military positions inside Iran with precision-guided munitions.

According to defence officials, these targeted operations focused heavily on dismantling Tehran's maritime offensive capabilities. The targets neutralised during the multi-hour operation encompassed command-and-control networks, air defence mechanisms, coastal radar installations, anti-ship missile sites, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats.

The defence establishment asserted that the primary objective of the massive operation was to systematically degrade Tehran's capacity to launch further disruptions against merchant shipping in the economic corridor.

Elaborating on the specific catalysts for the kinetic action, CENTCOM detailed that the American military response was triggered by targeted acts of aggression against three commercial tankers transiting the waterway. The ships caught in the hostilities were identified as the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan, and the Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.

Detailing the gravity of the maritime security breach on social media platform X, CENTCOM stated, "The US strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire."

Crucially, the latest deployment marks the first direct American kinetic action targeting Iran since late June, when a brief cycle of intense strikes and counter-strikes culminated in a temporary cessation of hostilities under a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Compounding the military friction, this kinetic escalation was preceded hours earlier by an aggressive economic move from Washington, with the Donald Trump administration abruptly rescinding a temporary oil sanctions waiver. This general licence, which had been implemented in late June under the ceasefire parameters to allow limited Iranian energy exports, was originally slated to remain active until August 21.

The sudden cancellation of these export permissions significantly increases the economic strain on Tehran as both states slide back into open confrontation.

— ANI