Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a consultant to the Supreme Leader, said today: "When the enemy attacks us from bases in this region, we will retaliate—and we will continue to retaliate. This is our right and our consistent policy. Countries in the region must prevent the US from using its territory to attack Iran, or else we will have no choice but to take action on our own."
Comment: Larijani's remarks are a brake on President Pezeshkian's conciliatory policies by Iran's hardliners, and also draw an insurmountable red line for regional countries and the US.
He directly ruled out the possibility of a "unilateral ceasefire," clearly stating that as long as the US launches attacks from bases in neighboring countries, Iran will continue to retaliate; regional countries either control the US military bases within their territories, or they will be considered as launching pads for attacks and face collateral strikes.
This statement also indicates that the moderate faction wants to cool down, while the hardliners want to retaliate, and Iran's decision-making has returned to a hardline track. The path that Trump wanted to use pressure to force Iran to fully submit has been completely blocked.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859053847221322/
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