ISLAMABAD: Iran dismissed U.S. and Israeli threats on Monday as a clear violation of international law, claiming that they were powerless to harm Tehran.
The remarks came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Jerusalem on Sunday, where they reaffirmed their commitment to countering Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its influence in the Middle East.
Netanyahu stated that Israel had dealt a “mighty blow” to Iran since the beginning of the Gaza conflict, and with the support of U.S. President Donald Trump, he expressed confidence that the job would be finished.
In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, speaking at a press conference on Monday, retorted: “When it comes to a country like Iran, they cannot do a damn thing.”
“You cannot threaten Iran on one hand and claim to support dialogue on the other,” Baghaei added, according to state media.
While Trump has suggested a willingness to negotiate with Tehran, he has also reinstated his “maximum pressure” campaign, aimed at halting Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while not ruling out direct talks with Washington, has criticized the Trump administration for abandoning its commitments. In 2018, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions that devastated Iran’s economy.
In retaliation, Tehran breached key elements of the nuclear deal, stepping up uranium enrichment to nearly 60% purity, a level close to weapons-grade, though it maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Despite Baghaei’s defiant stance, Iran’s influence across the region has significantly weakened. Its regional allies, part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” have been severely impacted since the Gaza conflict began and the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December.
The Axis includes Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and various Shiite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Over the past 16 months, Israel has targeted and killed Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, and both Israel and Iran have engaged in limited military confrontations.
