A senior Iranian leader issued a direct warning toward President Donald Trump early Tuesday as tensions continue to escalate between the United States and Iran.
Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, responded to one of Trump’s recent Truth Social posts with a message suggesting the president himself could become a target.
“Iran does not fear your paper threats,” Larijani wrote on social media. “Even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation. Watch out for yourself, lest you be eliminated.”
The warning followed a late night message from Trump in which the president threatened severe retaliation if Iran attempts to disrupt global oil supplies moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America twenty times harder than they have been hit thus far,” Trump wrote. “Death, fire and fury will reign upon them.”
The president said maintaining open shipping lanes through the strategic waterway is critical to the global economy, noting that roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes through the strait.
“This is a gift from the United States of America to China and all of those nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait,” Trump wrote.
Larijani had already issued warnings toward the United States over the weekend following a series of joint American and Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure.
Those strikes reportedly eliminated several senior Iranian commanders and damaged key military facilities.
Larijani previously said Trump would have to “pay the price” for the operation.
Despite the heated rhetoric, oil markets reacted positively to Trump’s latest comments suggesting the conflict could end soon.
Oil prices fell sharply in early Tuesday trading after Trump said the military campaign against Iran may conclude “very soon.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the president’s warning during a Pentagon press conference, reiterating that the United States would respond forcefully to any Iranian attempt to block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
“If Iran does anything to stop the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America twenty times harder than they have been hit thus far,” Hegseth said.
Military officials also said the United States is considering additional measures to ensure energy shipments continue moving safely through the region.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said the Pentagon is reviewing options that could include escorting commercial tankers through the narrow waterway.
“We will look at the range of options to set the military conditions to be able to do that,” Caine said.
The exchange of threats underscores the rising tensions as U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran continue, raising concerns that the conflict could expand further if either side escalates its actions in the coming days.
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