Iran Dares US After Trump Ends Ceasefire: 'If You Have the Guts, Come On'
A senior Iranian military official has challenged the United States to launch a ground assault, following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the ceasefire between the two countries has ended. Trump also ordered a fresh wave of strikes targeting Iran on Wednesday local time, whilst warning of ‘far worse’ consequences if Tehran continues to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global passage for oil and gas supplies.
Iranian state media reported a series of explosions at several locations along the country’s southern coast after US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced a new wave of attacks. According to the IRNA news agency, the sound of fighter jets was heard over Kish Island and explosions rocked the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Konarak, and Chabahar, some of which experienced power outages.
Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, Chief of Staff and Deputy Coordinator of the Iranian Armed Forces, asserted that Iranian troops would turn the coastal region into a ‘hell’ for US forces if ordered to attack. Speaking on state television, Sayyari said the military, police, and the paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are ‘so powerful and firmly present on the ground that the enemy would not even think about deploying troops on the Iranian coast’. He added that the enemy realises any attempt to land forces on the Iranian coast is tantamount to ‘entering a hell with no way out’.
Sayyari described Trump’s recent statements as an attempt to prove there are no obstacles to a military presence on the Iranian coast. ‘Our response is clear: If you have the guts, come on,’ he declared.
In a separate statement, the Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s joint military command, warned neighbouring countries that providing any support to US forces would be considered a legitimate target for the Iranian Armed Forces. Meanwhile, Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, stated that Iran is ‘not intimidated by the bluffs and threats of figures like Trump’ and is ‘ready for any form of aggression’.
Trump made the announcement that the ceasefire deal with Iran was over during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where he referred to Iran’s leaders as ‘trash’ and ‘insane’. He accused Iran of repeatedly misrepresenting what was agreed in the ceasefire, stating, ‘Everyone agreed, no nuclear weapons. We make a deal. They go out, talk to the press, and then say we never even discussed it. There’s something wrong with them, they are insane. For me, it’s over.’