TEHRAN – Iran’s military leadership is showing the same resolve it showed in January, when it compelled U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon his plans for military strikes by making it clear that any aggression would result in a full-blown regional war.

On Sunday, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces warned that Trump must cease his "reckless" threats of military action. “The remarks of the U.S. president—who claims to represent a superpower—are reckless and not befitting of a president,” said Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, in comments widely circulated by Persian-language media.

Throughout January, Trump repeatedly suggested he would attack Iran to “help” CIA-backed armed rioters who had exploited legitimate economic protests to create several days of deadly unrest. The U.S. President ultimately backed down after Iranian officials warned him not to assume he could carry out a limited strike and receive a merely calibrated response. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, further emphasized that any future conflict would become a “regional” one.

Analysts suggest that in such a war, Iran would strike U.S. bases in the region, deliberately target American soldiers, and close the Strait of Hormuz. Furthermore, Iran’s allies in Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq have signaled their intent to enter the conflict in support of Tehran.

Despite beginning nuclear negotiations in early February after scrapping his war plans, Trump has continued to threaten Iran with aggression. He has cited the aircraft carrier currently deployed to the Persian Gulf—and another he says is on the way—as tools that would be used to make “bad things” happen if Iran refuses to sign a new deal. Whether the two countries can reach an agreement depends largely on Washington’s willingness to respect Iran’s "red lines" regarding nuclear enrichment and the fact that Tehran will not negotiate on non-nuclear issues.

“If Trump intends to wage war, why does he speak of negotiations?” General Mousavi asked in his recent remarks. “Trump should know that he would be entering a cautionary battle—the outcome of which would ensure he no longer engages in bluster and saber-rattling on the world stage.”