TEHRAN -- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Iran’s missile inventory and launcher capacity have reached 120% of prewar levels, dismissing U.S. intelligence estimates as “wrong,” while warning that Washington resorts to military adventurism whenever diplomacy appears imminent.
“The CIA is wrong. Our missile inventory and launcher capacity are not at 75% compared to February 28. The correct figure is 120%,” Araghchi wrote on the social media platform X.
“As for our readiness to defend our people – 1,000%,” he underscored.
The foreign minister’s remarks came after a night of fierce exchanges between Iranian and U.S. forces in the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran said inflicted significant damage on three American destroyers and forced them to flee the area. Washington has not yet commented on the Iranian claims.
Araghchi warned that the United States tends to resort to military adventurism precisely when a diplomatic solution appears imminent, while stressing that the Islamic Republic will never yield to pressure.
“Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure. Is it a crude pressure tactic? Or the result of a spoiler once again duping POTUS into another quagmire?” Araghchi wrote, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Whatever the cause, the outcome is the same: Iranians never bow to pressure, and diplomacy is always the victim,” he added.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei also took to X with a pointed message directed at Washington and its regional allies.
“If you see a lion’s fangs bared, do not assume the lion is smiling,” he wrote in an Arabic post.
Baghaei said that the consequences of the United States’ “whimsical adventurism and roguish behavior have now become clear to the entire world” after Trump described the new strikes against Iran’s civilian assets as merely a “light slap.”
“Vermin-like nocturnal scheming and naive euphemisms such as ‘a light slap’ can do nothing to erase the profound disgrace born of narcissism, greed, reckless miscalculation, and lawless irresponsibility,” Baghaei wrote in a strongly worded post.
He noted that “disjointed [and] delusional” posts on social media hold no sway on reality, in an apparent reference to Trump’s posts on Truth Social.
“As ever, ‘the deeper they sink into folly, the more inventive they become in justifying it,’” Baghaei added.
A military source told Tasnim News Agency that clashes in the Persian Gulf have stopped for now, but that the possibility of them resuming remains.
After the hostile act by American terrorists against Iranian oil tankers, the source said, the country’s naval forces responded to the U.S. violation of the ceasefire and American terrorism with heavy fire.
After an exchange of fire, the source added, the clashes have now stopped and the situation is calm.
However, the military source emphasized that if the Americans again attempt to enter the Persian Gulf or cause any disturbance for Iranian vessels, they will receive another decisive response.
“Therefore, the possibility of renewed clashes of this kind in the region still exists,” the source said.
Mohsen Rezaei, a senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and a member of Iran’s Expediency Council, said Iran will not allow President Trump to set out an unrealistic plan for the Strait of Hormuz and simply exit the arena.
“Given the unfolding developments and attempts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the United States is seeking to stage a flamboyant gesture and then exit the scene. We will not allow such schemes to materialize,” Rezaei said.
Rezaei noted that the United States must pay reparations for all damage inflicted on Iran.
“We will doubtlessly demand our rights and reparations, even if U.S. military forces return home and withdraw from the region. We have endured them for 47 years and will continue to tread the path of resistance,” the Expediency Council member said.
Rezaei also stated that regional countries should ensure their own security independently, and that all foreign forces, whether American or European, must withdraw from the region.
“We can ensure our own security. We want to establish a regional security council. There are major countries in the region, such as Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, and we can provide security,” he said.