Ali Abdullahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters of the Iranian armed forces, issued a stark threat against the US, announcing that one American soldier would be killed for each Iranian citizen killed in US strikes.
Abdullahi said this principle has been proven repeatedly on the battlefield and would now become a formal element of Iran’s retaliation equation.
"For every martyr of the Islamic Iranian people, one American force will be eliminated,"
The commander, using these words, claimed that the US forces had been given a "one-way ticket to hell."
Strait of Hormuz demand and ceasefire rejection
In a separate statement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that his country would under no circumstances accept a temporary ceasefire unless its demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz are met.
Araghchi argued that Pakistan and Qatar continue their mediation roles, but the core issue is not the lack of mediators but US policies.
Assessing his talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, the Iranian minister noted that these contacts provided an opportunity to address the conflict in greater detail.
"Iran will not bow to US pressure. We do not respond to the language of force, pressure or threats. We do not fear threats, we do not succumb to pressure, and we do not accept the language of intimidation," Araghchi said, stating that protecting the Iranian people and securing interests in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be subject to negotiation.
He said the current stance would persist until the demands the Iranian people see as legitimate are met.