Iran threatens painful response if US renews attacks
Humeyra Pamuk and Tala Ramazan
WASHINGTON/DUBAI, April 30 (Reuters) – Iran said on Thursday it would respond with “prolonged and painful strikes” on U.S. positions if Washington renewed its attacks, and also reasserted control over the Strait of Hormuz, complicating U.S. coalition plans to reopen the waterway.
Two months into the US-Israeli war with Iran, the vital sea canal remains closed, blocking 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies. This has led to increased global energy prices and increased concerns about the risks of economic downturn.
Efforts to resolve the conflict have reached a stalemate; A ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but Iran still closes the strait in response to a US naval blockade of Iranian oil exports, the country’s economic lifeblood.
US President Donald Trump will receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for a series of new military strikes against Iran to force Iran to negotiate an end to the conflict, a US official told Reuters.
Such options have long been part of U.S. planning, but the proposed briefing reports, first published late Wednesday by news site Axios, initially led to large gains in oil prices, with the benchmark Brent crude contract rising above $126 a barrel at one point. It later dropped to $114.
A senior Revolutionary Guard official said any US attack on Iran, even limited, would lead to “prolonged and painful attacks” on US regional positions.
Iranian media quoted Aerospace Forces Commander Majid Mousavi as saying, “We have seen what happened to your regional bases, we will see the same thing happen to your warships.”
IRAN AIMS TO CONTINUE ITS PASSION IN THE THROAT
In his written message to Iranians, Religious Leader Mojtaba Khamenei stated that Tehran will eliminate “enemies’ abuse of the waterway” under its new management of the strait, and that the country intends to maintain its dominance over the strait.
“Strangers coming from thousands of kilometers away have no place there except at the bottom of the waters,” he said.
Brent prices have doubled since the war began on February 28, fueling inflation and sending pump prices around the world to politically painful levels.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that if the disruption caused by the shutdown continues until mid-year, global growth will fall, inflation will rise and tens of millions more people will be pushed into poverty and extreme hunger.
“The longer this vital artery is blocked, the harder it will be to reverse the damage,” he told reporters in New York.
Trump faces a formal deadline Friday for the United States to end the war or sue Congress to extend it. But analysts and congressional aides said they expected him to either notify Congress that he planned a 30-day extension or ignore the deadline.
RANGE OF OPTIONS
In addition to blocking almost all ships but its own shipping through the strait, Iran has launched drones and missiles at Israel and US bases, infrastructure and US-linked companies in the Gulf states.
Another plan to be shared with Trump involves using ground forces to seize part of the Strait of Hormuz and reopen it to commercial shipping, Axios said. Trump is also considering expanding the U.S. blockade of Iran or declaring unilateral victory, officials said.
In a sign that the United States also envisions an end-of-hostilities scenario, the State Department cable invited partner countries to join a new coalition called the Maritime Freedom Structure (MFC) to ensure ships can navigate the strait.
In the telegram, which is expected to be delivered verbally to partner countries by May 1, it was stated that “MFC constitutes a critical first step in establishing the post-conflict maritime security architecture for the Middle East.”
France, Britain and other countries have held talks about contributing to such a coalition but have said they are willing to help open the Strait only when the conflict ends.
LEBANON ISSUE
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri had a telephone conversation on Thursday to discuss the developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as the Islamabad negotiation process.
According to his Telegram account, Araqchi said that stopping Israeli attacks on Lebanon is part of the Iran-US ceasefire agreement and will continue to be an important issue in any future process. A shaky ceasefire is in effect in Lebanon, limiting fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Mediator Pakistan is trying to prevent tensions from escalating as the United States and Iran exchange messages about a potential deal, a Pakistani source said on Wednesday. Trump says Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, while Tehran says its nuclear goals are peaceful.
Iran’s latest bid to resolve the war would put aside discussions about its nuclear program until the conflict is officially over and shipping issues are resolved.
This did not meet Trump’s initial request to address the nuclear issue.
(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Lincoln Feast, Philippa Fletcher and Keith Weir; Editing by Neil Fullick, Timothy Heritage and Hugh Lawson)
