A senior adviser to the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Tehran could deliberately prolong the war until US President Donald Trump leaves office to wear down its adversaries and deter future attacks. "One way is to prolong this war until we get to the next term of the presidency and cause attrition, so that if anyone else wants to attack Iran, they will know there is a cost," Mohammad Reza Naghdi told PBS NewsHour on Tuesday. Naghdi made the comment after being asked directly whether Iran's objective was to drag out the war and wait until Trump was out of office. He said Iran needed to establish enough deterrence to prevent future attacks. "We have to attain deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us, so we can live with security," he said.
Civilian ships in Strait of Hormuz
Naghdi also defended attacks by Iranian forces on non-military vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Asked why Iran had attacked civilian ships on at least two occasions this week, Naghdi said Tehran needed to control shipping routes during wartime. "When we are at war, vessels need to pass through a region we can control," he said. "When they leave an area that we control, it could be that they're transporting supplies for the enemy." Asked whether attacking civilian vessels violated international law, Naghdi said Iran had the right to control routes it viewed as a threat during a war. "When you're in a state of war, any thoroughfare deemed to be a threat, we can control it," he said.
His comments came as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply amid the conflict and attacks on commercial vessels.
His comments came as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply amid the conflict and attacks on commercial vessels.
Khamenei absence due to security, Naghdi says
Naghdi was also asked why Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had not appeared publicly during the war. "Naturally, it is due to security," Naghdi said when asked whether his absence was for security reasons. "Certainly, there is no other reason." Asked whether he had personally seen Khamenei, Naghdi declined to answer. "Let's leave this matter alone," he said. PBS said it asked the White House for a response to Naghdi's remarks. "It would be wise for Iran to agree to a deal," the White House said in a statement cited by PBS, adding: "Otherwise they know what will happen." (Source)
Naghdi was also asked why Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had not appeared publicly during the war. "Naturally, it is due to security," Naghdi said when asked whether his absence was for security reasons. "Certainly, there is no other reason." Asked whether he had personally seen Khamenei, Naghdi declined to answer. "Let's leave this matter alone," he said. PBS said it asked the White House for a response to Naghdi's remarks. "It would be wise for Iran to agree to a deal," the White House said in a statement cited by PBS, adding: "Otherwise they know what will happen." (Source)
