Iran’s IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi called US President Donald Trump a “big liar” and rejected Washington’s claim that the military campaign is primarily aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons
Mohebbi said Iran is “not after nuclear weapons” and argued that the real US dispute with Tehran concerns the scale of Iran’s broader military and strategic capabilities
The IRGC also disputed US claims that Iran has lost leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, even as oil exports through the waterway have recovered to roughly half their pre-war level
‘We Are Not After Nuclear Weapons’, IRGC Calls Trump A ‘Big Liar’
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington’s war is aimed at preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon, saying Iran’s nuclear programme is not the real dispute between the two countries.
Summary
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington’s military campaign is aimed at ensuring Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon, with its spokesperson calling Trump a “big liar”.
IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said on Tuesday that the United States knew Iran was “not after nuclear weapons” and argued that Washington’s actual objective was to weaken Iran and reduce the scope of its capabilities.
“Their issue with Iran is not its nuclear programme but rather its vastness, which they want to destroy,” Mohebbi said, according to Reuters.
Iran Rejects US Claim
Trump has cited Iran’s nuclear programme as one of the reasons for the US military campaign, saying Washington must prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Reuters reported.
Mohebbi rejected that justification during an IRGC press conference, saying the US knew Iran was not seeking a nuclear weapon. He instead portrayed the conflict as an effort by Washington to weaken Iran’s wider military and strategic capabilities.
Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful purposes. The latest IRGC comments repeat Tehran’s position while directly challenging the rationale put forward by the US president.
Strait Of Hormuz
Mohebbi also rejected US claims that Iran had lost much of its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the passage remained effectively restricted despite US military efforts to protect some oil shipments. According to Reuters, Mohebbi argued that the movement of individual vessels through the strait did not mean that the waterway had returned to normal operations.
According to Reuters, oil exports through Hormuz were recovering in September and were expected to reach nearly 10 million barrels per day, about half their pre-war level.
The comments come as the status of Hormuz remains a major economic issue because the waterway carries a substantial share of global oil and gas shipments.
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IRGC Warns Of More Attacks
The latest comments follow earlier warnings from the IRGC that Iran remained prepared for further US military action.
In a statement last week, the Guards said Iran was prepared to respond to another US attack and warned that Washington would gain “nothing but failure” from further military action.
The IRGC has also sought to communicate directly with the American public. In a letter released earlier this week, the organisation accused the US of “war crimes” and urged Americans to oppose the continuation of the conflict.
Tehran has continued to leave the door open to diplomacy while opposing continued US military pressure. The latest IRGC comments therefore combine a rejection of Washington’s stated nuclear rationale with a warning against further military action and a continued emphasis on Iran’s position over the Strait of Hormuz.
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