Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Iran, affirmed on Tuesday that his country is fully prepared for war, stating that Iran has delivered a strong and rational response to the American side and that “the ball is now in America’s court to prevent war.”
Speaking during an open session of the Assembly on the eve of November 4, the “National Day of Fighting Against Global Arrogance,” Qalibaf highlighted three pivotal historical events: the exile of Imam Khomeini (may he rest in peace), the unjust killing of students by the oppressive Pahlavi regime in 1978, and the 1979 takeover of the American “den of espionage.” He remarked, “These three events are rooted in a single reality: that America has sought and will continue to seek to swallow up Iran, from the time it first exerted its influence to the present day, whenever the opportunity arises.”
The Speaker continued, “In the past, America sought to achieve this objective through the submission of puppet rulers. Today, however, faced with the resistance of a unified and independent Iranian nation, it employs the tools of military, economic, and ideological warfare. The root of America’s profound hostility toward the Iranian people lies precisely in this: our nation has stood firm against this hegemonic ambition, transforming its own pursuit of independence into an aspiration that it hopes other free nations across the world might also realize.”
Ghalibaf further explained that “this very popular resistance has brought the usurping Zionist entity and the Americans to a state of helplessness, leaving them at a loss as to how to deal with the resilient Iranian people.” He stated, “Faced with a series of defeats, they occasionally attempt to coerce the Iranian people into surrender through threats and military operations. Yet, they are mistaken; Iran will not surrender. This dream this delusion harbored by the enemy belongs to a bygone era, the era of subservient and puppet regimes.”
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament added, “Through the last two imposed wars, the Americans and their regional allies have come to realize that the age of unchecked ambition is over. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has defined our military strategy for confronting any potential enemy attack. Consequently, our military and strategic response to any misstep by the enemy will be entirely unexpected a response that will decisively neutralize their actions, utilizing all our material and moral resources, and unconstrained by any geographical boundaries.”
Declaring that the nations of the region should understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran while fully prepared for battle has responded to the American side with both strength and rationality, Ghalibaf reiterated, “The ball is now in America’s court to prevent a war.”
He further noted, “At the same time, we maintain the highest levels of readiness and defensive capability on the ground and in the military sphere. Should Washington commit another strategic error, it must understand that it will face an entirely new battlefield one in which it will find itself even more helpless than it is today in seeking a way out.”
Ghalibaf emphasized, “Preserving national cohesion is our most powerful weapon in any future war, and consequently, it serves as the most effective deterrent. To the dear and respected Iranian people and especially to us, the officials maintaining national cohesion is our strongest weapon for the coming war and our most effective deterrent.”
Source: Iranian media (translated and edited by Al-Manar)