Iran fended off the United States using asymmetric warfare and planning, Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf said on Saturday. The Iranian leader’s message comes as tensions simmer over the US-Israeli war on the West Asian country, currently paused under a fragile ceasefire.
“We fought an asymmetric war in such a way that we pushed back the enemy through our own planning and preparation,” he said in a televised address, as per Iran’s Press TV. Asymmetric warfare is when a weaker side fights a stronger opponent using indirect tactics rather than engaging in direct combat.
‘US has greater experience’ in wars: Iran
Ghalibaf said the United States has more military power, equipment, and war “experience,” but those did not determine the outcome.
“We are not stronger than the United States in military power,” he said. “Because they have committed so much aggression around the world, their experience is also greater than ours.”
The problem on the opposing side was not resources, but strategy, Ghalibaf said.
{{/usCountry}}The problem on the opposing side was not resources, but strategy, Ghalibaf said.
{{/usCountry}}“The enemy had money and resources, but they did not act correctly in terms of design,” Ghalibaf added. “They make strategic errors. They miscalculate regarding our people, just as they miscalculate in their own military design.”
US prioritises Israel, not America: Iran
Ghalibaf criticised US policy, saying it prioritises Israel despite claims of “America First”. He added that Iran agreed to a ceasefire only after its terms were accepted and said pressure tactics failed to force concessions.
Ghalibaf stressed that Iran’s forces remain on alert even as talks continue.
“As long as we pursued matters on the battlefield and militarily, we stood firm, and today we stand firm as well,” he said. “The moment the enemy makes a mistake, we are ready.”
He said Tehran did not trust its adversaries. “We have no trust in the enemy,” he said.
“Even at this very moment, as we sit here, war could break out. The armed forces are fully prepared on the ground.”
Iran’s Strait of Hormuz warning
Ghalibaf said he warned a US delegation in Islamabad about escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. He said he told them Iranian forces would respond if minesweepers moved from their position in the waterway.
He added that Iran controls the strategic waterway and could restrict traffic if pressure continues.
Strait of Hormuz closed again
Iran has again shut the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, warning that vessels approaching the area could be targeted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the closure was in response to a continued US blockade of Iranian ports. It ordered ships in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman to remain in place and warned that any approach to the strait would be treated as hostile.
Iran briefly reopened the route earlier, allowing limited transit, but said it would close again until US restrictions are lifted. Tehran also accused Washington of breaching a ceasefire arrangement.
The US, under Donald Trump as President, said its naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a peace deal is reached, and denied that Iran could use threats over the strait as leverage.
There were also reports of several attacks on vessels near the strait, including gunfire from Iranian boats and damage to a container ship. At least two Indian merchant ships were reportedly hit while attempting to cross the waterway.