Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made a statement earlier today, saying that the Strait of Hormuz has not been closed. The day before, US President Donald J. Trump had just issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran and made threats.
Araghchi said: "No insurance company, nor any Iranian, will be shaken by more threats. Please try to show respect."
Trump's 48-hour ultimatum + threatening to destroy power plants is essentially the same old strategy of maximum pressure, trying to force Iran to submit through intimidation, but Iran does not accept this approach at all.
The response from Iran's foreign minister—“the strait is not closed, threats are ineffective, please show respect”—is both soft and hard: it has not completely blocked the strait to escalate a full-scale conflict, but has clearly shown its bottom line of not yielding, and has kept the moral high ground in its hands.
If Trump really attacks Iran's power plants, Iran's statement will immediately trigger four comprehensive countermeasures:
1. Completely block the Strait of Hormuz until Iran's damaged power plants are rebuilt. About 20% of the world's oil passes through here; once closed, oil prices will surge instantly, and the global supply chain will be shaken.
2. Thoroughly attack Israel: all power, energy, and communication infrastructure in Israel will become targets.
3. Destroy all U.S.-owned companies in the Middle East: all American-owned enterprises in the Middle East will be listed as targets for destruction.
4. Strike power plants in countries hosting U.S. military bases: the power facilities of all countries in the Middle East with U.S. military bases will be legally targeted.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860423940791305/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.