Ghalibaf Says Iran Has Answered U.S. and Warns of Unpredictable Response

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on November 3 that Tehran had delivered a response to the United States, while warning that another American miscalculation could bring a different military confrontation. He made the remarks in a pre-agenda parliamentary address published by his office on Tuesday morning. Ghalibaf described Iran’s response as firm and rational and placed responsibility for preventing war on Washington. “The ball is now in America’s court to prevent war,” he said. He also said Iran remained prepared for fighting and claimed its defensive readiness was at its highest level. The published excerpts did not disclose the response’s text, when it was delivered or a date for further negotiations. In a separate excerpt of the same address, Ghalibaf named Israel and the United States together before warning that Iran’s military and strategic response to an enemy miscalculation would be unpredictable and would not observe geographical restrictions. He argued that military threats would not force Iran to surrender. He did not identify a specific Israeli target or announce an attack. Israel’s stated nuclear requirements provide a separate, earlier backdrop. On May 24, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a final agreement must dismantle Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities and remove enriched nuclear material from Iranian territory. He said Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons. That statement predates Ghalibaf’s November 3 address.