'If They Make Even The Slightest Mistake': Iran Warns US Of Forceful Response If Tensions Escalate

Last Updated:April 19, 2026, 07:10 IST

Iran’s Ghalibaf claimed Tehran was “victorious in the field” and warned of a forceful response if tensions escalate, highlighting advances in Iran’s missile capabilities.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has acknowledged the United States’ superior military resources but asserted that Tehran successfully countered its adversaries through strategy and preparedness, saying Iran pushed back the enemy in what he described as an “asymmetric war."

“We are not militarily stronger than America. It is clear that they have more money, equipment, and resources, and because they have carried out so many aggressions around the world, they also have more experience than us," Ghalibaf said.

He also referred to Israel as “America’s servant and agent in the region," stating that despite the technological and financial advantages of its adversaries, Iran’s planning and battlefield design allowed it to gain the upper hand.

“We fought in an asymmetric war in such a way that, with our own design and preparedness, we pushed the enemy back. The enemy had money and resources, but did not act correctly in design. They make mistakes in strategic decisions. They are wrong about our people, just as they are wrong in their military design," he said.

CLAIMS US PRIORITISES ISRAEL OVER ITS OWN INTERESTS

Ghalibaf criticised Washington’s strategic priorities, claiming that despite the “America First" doctrine, the United States bases its decisions on Israeli interests.

“The US government claims that ‘America First’ is important to it, but in practice, it has shown that Israel is first for it, because it makes decisions based on false information from Israel," he said.

He warned that Iran remains prepared to retaliate if tensions escalate further.

“We are fully prepared. If they make even the slightest mistake, we will respond with force," Ghalibaf said, adding that Iran’s military capabilities have improved compared to previous conflicts.

“We are definitely a head and shoulders above the past in offensive capabilities and design in the third imposed war, and we saw this on the battlefield," he said.

HIGHLIGHTS DRONE DEFENCE, F-35 STRIKE AS SIGNS OF MILITARY ADVANCEMENT

Ghalibaf said Iran had made significant technical progress, particularly in countering aerial threats, claiming that Iranian forces intercepted about 180 drones during the conflict.

“In the technical field, we hit about 180 drones, a capability we did not have in the defensive domain during the previous war. All of these events happened in just a few months," he said.

He also referred to a strike involving an F-35 aircraft as evidence of Iran’s growing technological capacity.

“Hitting the F-35 is not a coincidence. It is an operation in various technical and design dimensions. With the missile that exploded near that aircraft (F-35), the enemy understood what capabilities we have and in which direction we are moving," he said.

Ghalibaf further alleged that Iran’s adversaries had attempted to destabilise the country economically.

“The enemy sought regime change and to ‘Venezuelanize’ Iran in order to auction off our oil, but it failed," he said.

CEASEFIRE ACCEPTED AFTER DEMANDS MET

According to an AFP report, Ghalibaf said Iran agreed to the current ceasefire only after securing its conditions, asserting that Tehran had achieved its objectives during the conflict.

“We were victorious in the field," Ghalibaf said in a nationally televised address, adding that the United States had failed to meet its goals.

“If we accepted the ceasefire, it was because they accepted our demands," he said, describing negotiations as a continuation of resistance.

“The enemy’s every effort was to impose its demands on us, and it is important that we register our rights, so this is where negotiation is a method of struggle."

The report noted that the two-week ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday unless extended, with mediators including Pakistan working to secure a permanent agreement.

Ghalibaf also held closed-door talks in Islamabad with US Vice President JD Vance on April 11, in the highest-level contact between the two countries since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

GAPS REMAIN IN TALKS OVER NUCLEAR PROGRAMME AND STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Reuters reported that negotiations between Tehran and Washington have seen some progress, but key differences remain, particularly over Iran’s nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime route critical for global oil shipments.

“We have had progress, but there is still a big distance between us," Iran’s chief negotiator said, adding that both sides continue to hold firm on certain issues.

US President Donald Trump said there had been “very good conversations" but warned against what he described as “blackmail" regarding the vital shipping channel.

The war, now in its eighth week, has killed thousands and disrupted global energy markets due to tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, which previously carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments.

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