Senior Iranian official says war will end on Tehran’s terms

Senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei, who previously served as a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said the war with the United States and Israel would only end on the Islamic ayatollah regime’s terms.

Ignoring Tehran’s massive military losses, Rezaei stressed on Saturday that the decision to end the war “lies with Iran,” the regime-linked news outlet WANA reported.

“We will consider ending the war only when, first, we receive full compensation for all our damages from the United States, and second, we obtain a 100% guarantee for the future,” Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Expediency Council, said. He argued that the guarantee Tehran seeks “is not possible without the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Persian Gulf.”

He also repeated Tehran’s threat to close the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, where some 20% of the world’s oil supplies pass through. Rezaei warned that the strait “will not reopen” unless the United States withdraws its military forces from the Middle East, which is currently an unlikely scenario. 

“We are still winning politically, defensively and economically,” Rezaei said, adding, “We have defeated the US.” 

“Mr. Trump, our missiles are unlimited, while your THAAD missiles are exhausted,” he added; however, the claims are not backed by the facts on the ground. 

Iran has faced large military losses in the war. Much of its navy and air force has been destroyed. The U.S. and Israel have also eliminated most of the nation's top leaders, including the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The U.S. and Israeli Air Forces secured air supremacy over Iran within the first 48 hours of the war. 

Israeli military officials estimate that thousands of IRGC officials have been killed in the current war.

U.S. CENTCOM recently reported that Iranian missile attacks have dropped by 90%, a decline linked to the rapid depletion of Iran’s missile arsenal. Israeli officials estimate that roughly 75% of Iran’s missile launchers have been destroyed, making large-scale attacks increasingly difficult.

The senior Iranian official also argued that the security of the Persian Gulf “should be managed by the countries of the region themselves."

However, relations between Iran and its Arab neighbors are currently strained after the ayatollah regime has launched multiple missile and drone attacks against countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. Even Qatar, which has had solid ties with Tehran, has been targeted in the Iranian attacks. 

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham recently told ALL ISRAEL NEWS Editor-in-Chief Joel C. Rosenberg that Washington’s Arab allies in the region should join the offensive military operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

The senator also praised the strategic relationship between the U.S. and Israel, saying, “Israel is the best ally we could hope for.”

Top U.S. security officials describe the U.S. and Israeli Air Forces as the world’s most capable air powers, highlighting their unprecedented coordination in the ongoing offensive against Iran.

Iranian attacks on Israel, U.S. forces, and Arab states have strengthened security ties between Israel and moderate Arab nations, with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir continuing to engage regional counterparts amid ongoing missile and drone threats.