TEHRAN - Iran has warned its adversaries of “new surprises” as the United States and Israel once again beat the drums of war despite their military failure in the recent conflict.

President Donald Trump revived his threats to annihilate Iran after he held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

“The clock is ticking” for Iran, Trump said amid stalled efforts to bring a permanent end to the war that the US and Israel launched against Iran on February 28.

“They better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”

Iran ‘ready for all scenarios’

Responding to Trump’s recent threats of military action, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said in his weekly press briefing on Monday that aggression against the country will not remain unanswered.

“We are fully prepared for any scenario,” Esmaeil Baghaei said. Referring to nearly 40 days of US and Israeli strikes, he said, “As our armed forces demonstrated in those 40 days, if any reckless action is taken, we will respond with full force. I assure you that our armed forces will certainly unveil ‘new surprises’ for the enemy.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry official noted that “if the other side makes even the slightest mistake, we know very well how to respond.” He stressed that US threats and economic pressure against Iran have fallen flat.

Washington's ‘unrealistic’ demands 

A ceasefire on April 8 paused the US-Israel war, but Iranian officials blame Washington’s “excessive and unrealistic” demands for the stalemate in negotiations.
Iran has told Pakistani mediators that it will negotiate with the US if it meets five main demands: ending the war across all fronts, including Israeli strikes in Lebanon, lifting sanctions, releasing frozen Iranian assets, compensating for war damage, and recognizing Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Since the start of the war, Iran has asserted full control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says the strategic waterway will remain closed to its adversaries, referring to US and Israeli-linked vessels and countries that have enabled the aggression against Iran.

Iran’s military might 

During the war, Iran carried out 100 waves of missile and drone strikes against Israel and US bases in the Persian Gulf region. In addition to dealing severe blows to US regional installations, equipment, and aircraft, more than a dozen American servicemembers lost their lives. Iran also dealt heavy blows to Israeli strategic sites, but the Netanyahu government stands accused of covering up the extent of the damage.

US-Israel miscalculation 

Trump and Netanyahu were under the illusion that they would be able to destroy Iran’s military capabilities and change the political leadership in their favor within a couple of days. But Iran’s strong military response and its resilience exposed the failure of such delusions.

According to US media, Trump and Netanyahu discussed the possibility of resuming war with Iran during their Sunday phone call.

For Netanyahu, a state of war is vital because it allows him to cover up his financial scandals. A scheduled hearing in Netanyahu’s corruption trial has been cancelled following an urgent request, according to Israeli Channel 12. Netanyahu requested the immediate cancellation of Monday’s session, citing confidential “security and political reasons” that prevented him from attending. The trial, which began in 2020, covers three cases involving charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Since last year, his defense team has successfully petitioned for delays, routinely citing wartime developments, pressing diplomatic engagements, and acute security situations. Critics, however, accuse the prime minister of deliberately using regional geopolitical tensions to stall the proceedings.

Trump, with his threats, also seeks to create a fabricated sense of victory over Iran. His popularity has hit record lows, and the impacts of war with Iran have led to rising inflation in the US and higher fuel prices.

Iran has stressed that there is no military solution to the conflict. Iran says, despite its mistrust of the US, it is ready to hold talks on the conflict to secure its national interests.

Since June last year, the US and Israel have attacked Iran twice while Tehran and Washington were holding talks.

Iran accepted the April 8 ceasefire after Trump agreed to Iran’s main conditions. However, following the truce, Trump backed down and imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

In the view of Iranian political and military officials, in line with pursuing diplomacy, the armed forces remain ready, with their fingers on the trigger, to deliver a crushing response to any new act of aggression.