Various Iranian officials reinforced their disposition towards continuing the war against the United States and Israel without dialogue on Friday, led by the Foreign Ministry’s declaration that America would soon learn an “unforgettable lesson.”
America launched “Operation Epic Fury,” a military engagement to disable the threat Iran, the world’s most formidable state sponsor of terrorism, presents to its neighbors and the world. On the first day of the operation, President Donald Trump announced that it had successfully eliminated the “supreme leader” of the Islamist dictatorship, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, leaving the country effectively leaderless, as even President Masoud Pezeshkian answers to the “supreme leader.”
In response, Iran has launched a barrage of missile and drone attacks, allegedly against American and Israeli targets. In reality, these strikes have targeted a host of Middle East nations, including countries with no clear relevance to the conflict, such as Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The Gulf nations have expressed particular outrage at being the target of Iranian missiles aimed at apparent civilian targets. Those afflicted include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a member of the anti-American BRICS coalition along with Iran.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei insisted that Tehran was not prepared to discuss any negotiations to end hostilities with the United States.
An armed police officer monitors an area while standing next to an anti-U.S. placard during a rally commemorating International Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, on March 13, 2026, amid the U.S.-Israeli military campaign. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“We cannot accept that they talk about dialogue and ceasefire every now and then and after that we face the repetition of these crimes and war,” Baqaei said, referring to the failed talks between Washington and Tehran that preceded the current war. “Our armed forces are very determined to firmly teach the enemy an unforgettable lesson.”
The Iranian army separately issued a statement on Friday threatening a “crushing and remorseful response to the enemies,” in tandem with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a formal arm of the Iranian military and U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
“The Iranian Amy will take revenge for enemies of the country that martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, senior military commanders and fellow countrymen,” the statement declared, according to the regime-friendly outlet Mehr News. “Pledging its allegiance with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, Iran’s Army will continue its attacks against the terrorist US and criminal Israeli forces in the region with utmost power and will give a crushing response to the US and Zionist enemies.”
Iranian officials announced this week that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late ayatollah, had been “elected” the country’s next dictator following a meeting of its “Assembly of Experts.” The younger Khamenei has never held public office and has not yet made any public appearances. In one event meant to formalize the nation declaring allegiance to Khamenei, organizers brought out a cardboard cutout of the alleged new supreme leader, leading to global confusion and doubts about his capability to run the country.
Khamenei allegedly released his first statement since being chosen to run the country on Thursday in which he, too, vowed a commitment to a prolonged struggle with America.
“The demand of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret-inducing defense,” the statement, read on air before a photograph of Khamenei, said.
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“A limited amount of this revenge has already taken place in practice. But until it reaches its complete extent, this case will remain open above all others,” the statement added, specifying that Iran would continue to threaten global shipping in the critical Strait of Hormuz route: “Certainly the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used.”
On the same day, Iran’s United Nations envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, denied that Iran would block traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are not going to close the Strait of Hormuz,” Iravani told the Kurdish news organization Rudaw. “It is our inherent right to preserve peace and security in this waterway.”
No evidence has surfaced since the release of that statement on Thursday indicating that Khamenei has taken any actions as supreme leader. Other officials have continued to share statements indicating the regime has no interest in discussing an end to the hostilities, however. Also on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi – typically one of the least belligerent voices in the highest ranks of the Iranian regime – declared in a phone call with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar that Iran held a “firm determination” to keep fighting.
Mehr reported that, in addition to that commitment – which includes firing missiles and launching drones at Iran’s BRICS partner UAE – Araghchi “pointed to the significant and constructive role of BRICS as a forum for the development of multilateral cooperation, and termed the key role of BRICS at the current situation ‘necessary’ to support the regional and international stability.”
India, like Iran and the UAE, is a member of BRICS. Other Iranian BRICS partners, such as China and Russia, have expressed verbal support for Iran but offered little material support during the current conflict.
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