Iran Says “Proportionate” Responses to America Are Over – Iran is warning that its approach to the war with the United States has now changed, with one of Tehran’s most senior officials declaring on Sunday, September 6, that the country will no longer limit itself to “proportionate responses” following the latest exchanges of strikes around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Washington should understand “before it is too late” that the rules of the conflict have changed, warning that future retaliation would be “faster, heavier and more painful.”
The announcement comes after six months of conflict and just one day after the United States struck three Iranian oil tankers following Iranian ballistic missile attacks directed at two U.S. Navy warships.
ATLANTIC OCEAN (June 14, 2011) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight
D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) conducts rudder turns during sea trials. Dwight
D. Eisenhower completed a nine-month planned incremental availability at Norfolk Naval Ship Yard on June 10 and is scheduled to resume underway operations this summer. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher Stoltz/Released)
The threat also raises the prospect of the war escalating again, right as President Trump signals he is willing to declare the war over and withdraw some U.S. military presence from the region.
Iran Says the Rules Have Changed
Speaking on Sunday, September 6, Ghalibaf said the United States should now expect a substantially stronger Iranian response to any further attacks on the country’s interests or security.
The comments were reported by Iranian state media and published on his Telegram channel.
“The rules of the game have changed,” he said, per the IRNA news agency.
Ghalibaf also said that Washington should now understand that Tehran will no longer respond proportionally to attacks, and that it is willing to engage in an offensive manner and escalate where it can.
“If they have not understood this by now, they must do so before it is too late,” he said.
Ghalibaf, who has acted as Iran’s chief negotiator in efforts to end the war with the United States also commented on recent Iranian attacks against U.S. military sites and positions in the region, saying that the strikes are only the beginning of a much larger campaign.
His warning came after a major confrontation on Saturday, during which Iran launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships and the United States retaliated by attacking three Iranian oil tankers.
On Sunday, Iran also claimed to have struck an unmanned U.S. military vessel attempting to enter the Strait of Hormuz, but U.S. Central Command dismissed the claim as a “total lie.”
The Tanker War
This weekend started with ballistic missile launches by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against two U.S. warships, with CENTCOM saying both ships evaded the missiles. There were no reports of injuries to U.S. military personnel.
U.S. forces quickly responded by striking Iranian crude carriers – expensive and high-value targets for Iran that are critical for rebuilding the country’s oil export industry. CENTCOM said that the vessels form part of a network Iran uses to evade sanctions and finance the IRGC.
“Following Iran’s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship,” CENTCOM said.
“The three Iranian crude oil tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. Iran has no means by which to defend them,” the statement continued.
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said that the strikes should serve as a “message” to the IRGC that if they shoot at two American ships, the U.S. will impose an “even higher economic cost – taking out three of yours.”
But Iran Is Under Pressure
Iran is fighting back harder, but it is under immense pressure – and while it may have less to lose now than it did before, its military capabilities are still limited.
The question now is whether Iran can successfully deploy sufficient quantities of high-speed missiles and projectiles to overwhelm U.S. defenses and make the kind of critical hit against major targets like carriers possible.
On Sunday, though, Ghalibaf admitted the country is facing problems, describing declining living standards as a major consideration of the war.
Econony Minister Ali Madanizadeh also said that the government had established an “Economic War Headquarters” to immediately begin addressing inflation and unemployment. It comes as Iran struggles to export its oil and generate revenue as economic sanctions tighten.
Washington is trying to weaken Iran’s ability to circumnavigate the existing naval blockade and sanctions. Beyond Operation Economic Outcast, Iran is facing an operation by the United States involving Navy SEAL divers and robotic vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz to identify and track any ships or vessels connected to Iran.
But Iran still has some leverage.
Whether it’s threatening ships using routes it has not authorized or conducting asymmetric assaults, Iran has several tricks up its sleeves that could continue to raise the cost of this war for Washington.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
