Iranian Government Spox: Iran Will Defend Itself but Will Not Start a War
Speaking at a press conference, Mohajerani said Iran is not intimidated by the confrontation but warned that continued escalation risks spreading instability across the Middle East and beyond.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iran will not initiate a war but remains fully prepared to defend its sovereignty and people, Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Wednesday, amid heightened tensions following a major U.S. naval deployment toward the region.
Speaking at a press conference, Mohajerani said Iran is not intimidated by the confrontation but warned that continued escalation risks spreading instability across the Middle East and beyond.
“We are not afraid of confrontation, but the fire is spreading to the region and the entire world,” she said. “We will not initiate war, but we will defend our country and our nation.”
Mohajerani also addressed domestic developments, noting that Iran’s youth have voiced complaints and demands, prompting the government to implement what she described as radical reforms, with the reform process set to continue. She added that Iranian security forces have differentiated between legitimate protesters and those engaged in violence, accusing Israel of opposing Iran’s independence and sovereignty.
Her remarks come as U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that a “massive armada” of U.S. naval vessels, led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, is transiting toward Iran in what he described as an effort to force Tehran into new nuclear negotiations.
In a post on his Truth Social account on Wednesday, Trump said the deployment is larger than a recent U.S. naval operation near Venezuela and is intended to pressure Iran to “come to the table” to finalize an agreement permanently barring the development of nuclear weapons.
The U.S. president said Washington is “ready, willing, and able” to act with “speed and violence, if necessary,” warning that time for diplomacy is running out. He also referenced “Operation Midnight Hammer” as a precedent, claiming any future military action would be far more severe.
Despite the escalating rhetoric, Iranian officials have continued to emphasize that Tehran does not seek war and remains focused on defending its national interests while addressing internal reform demands.