Iran has said the United States is “stuck and struggling” after five months of war, insisting Tehran will decide when the conflict ends and warning Washington will “inevitably pay the price”.
The comments reflect Tehran’s assessment that the US failed to achieve its objectives during the conflict. Iranian officials say the country defeated the United States and believe Washington now has few options left.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the situation was the result of what he described as the Iranian armed forces’ “decisive response” to the US-Israeli attack. He said Iran’s priority in any future engagement would remain protecting its national rights and security and that it would not retreat from its positions.
The United States has continued to hold fire against Iran, leading Tehran to suspend retaliatory strikes across the Middle East after nearly two weeks of heavy bombing.
US President Donald Trump has dismissed media reports that the American military is running low on ammunition. He said US stockpiles remain vast and exceed what is needed.
Baghaei also repeated Iran’s position on the Ukrainian bombing of a commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, saying for a second time that the attack would not go unanswered.
Attention is now focused on how Iran may respond. One possibility is closer cooperation with Russia, while another is a direct military response. Iranian officials have indicated they do not want the Caspian Sea to become another battleground.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops and settlers have continued raids, arrests and home demolitions across the occupied West Bank, with operations reported in Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron and East Jerusalem.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
