▲ Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC)
Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and the country's top security official, has warned of retaliatory measures against neighboring countries that participate in U.S. sanctions against Iran by disrupting Iranian flights.
While presenting seven conditions for lifting the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has intensified its all-around pressure by boasting of its recent military achievements against the U.S. military.
In an interview with Iran's state broadcaster IRIB on the 23rd (local time), Secretary Rezaei urged, "Neighboring countries must not interfere with the operation of Iranian flights and should not play along with the U.S."
He further warned, "If they intervene, we will restrict the operation of aircraft from neighboring countries cooperating with the U.S."
This is interpreted as a threat of retaliation against nearby regional countries attempting to join the U.S.-led aviation sanctions or airspace controls against Iran.
Previously, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on the 21st of the enforcement of secondary boycotts against aviation service providers, stating that all Iranian airlines would completely suspend operations starting September 23.
Ahead of the sanction schedule announced by Secretary Bessent, Iranian flights bound for Baghdad, Iraq, and Muscat, Oman, were completely canceled starting the day before.
Secretary Rezaei also urged a shift in the U.S. attitude as a prerequisite for lifting the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the strait will not be opened unless the seven demands are met.
He emphasized, "There has been enough dialogue and negotiation, and it is time for action. If the U.S. does not fulfill Iran's conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will never be opened."
Referring to the recent armed conflict with the U.S., Secretary Rezaei also self-assessed that they had "inflicted humiliation on the U.S."
He claimed, "For the first time in history, we succeeded in hitting the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington with an anti-ship missile," adding, "Iran is the first country to shoot down a U.S. F-35 fighter jet and an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft."
He also launched a fierce offensive targeting U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel, who heavily focused on Iran during the UN General Assembly.
Secretary Rezaei claimed, "President Trump's excessive obsession with Iran in his UN General Assembly speech actually proves that the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran has doubled."
(Photo: Capture from IRNA News Agency Telegram Channel, Yonhap News)
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