Iran: ‘Fingers on trigger’ despite aiming for peace

Fatemeh Mohajerani, the first spokeswoman of the Iranian government, said that Tehran remains on guard with military readiness, though maintaining its diplomatic doctrine of establishing “sustainable peace,” in a weekly press briefing on Tuesday, 12 May.

Citing their deceased Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who was killed by US-Israeli attacks, she stated that their outlook is based on his mandate of pursuing diplomacy, assuring the public that the country is under reconstruction and development.

Though its figures were left undisclosed, Mohajerani added that there are no shortages among their essential resources, with plans made for their economic stability.

“We fought the world’s greatest military power for 40 days, and we are still holding the trigger and waiting for a negotiated settlement,” Mohajerani said, as quoted by the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), a state-controlled media outlet.

Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on International Affairs, directly addressed U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Iran will no longer laugh” remark, claiming that the President has believed “Pentagon’s lies” that conceal the “heavy casualty” among American soldiers.

According to ISNA, Velayati claimed that the U.S. will not win in diplomacy, as it had not on the battlefield.

In a news conference today with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatar commented that the Strait of Hormuz has been “used as a weapon in this war,” the Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed said, adding that Qatar will continue to discuss with Gulf states in restoring peace in the region, stressing the need for diplomacy with Iran as a solution.