"The longer they drag their feet, the more American taxpayers will pay for it," Iran warns strong response against any future aggression

Tehran (Web Desk): Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on Tuesday said the United States has no real choice except to recognise what he described as the rights of the Iranian people.

His comments came in a post on social media platform X shortly after US President Donald Trump on Monday rejected Iran’s Sunday reply to a US-backed peace proposal and said the ceasefire between the two countries was “on massive life support.”

Qalibaf stated, "There is no alternative but to accept the rights of the Iranian people as laid out in the (Iran-proposed) 14-point proposal," warning that "any other approach will be completely inconclusive; nothing but one failure after another." He further cautioned, "The longer they drag their feet, the more American taxpayers will pay for it," suggesting continued delay would come at a cost for the United States.

There is no alternative but to accept the rights of the Iranian people as laid out in the 14-point proposal.
Any other approach will be completely inconclusive; nothing but one failure after another.
The longer they drag their feet, the more American taxpayers will pay for it.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) May 11, 2026

In a separate post shared on Monday, Qalibaf said Iran’s armed forces stand prepared to respond firmly to any act of aggression, describing it as a “lesson-teaching” response to any aggression, stressing that "we are ready for all options," and "they (the Americans) will be surprised."

According to reports, Iran delivered its formal reply to the latest US-drafted peace text to a Pakistani mediator on Sunday. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, during his weekly press briefing, explained that Tehran’s proposal is focused solely on securing what it considers the “legitimate” rights of its people.

The remarks come amid reports that in Washington, President Trump is holding a high-level National Security meeting where military options against Iran, including ‘Project Freedom’ are under consideration.

In response, Iran has declared that its armed forces remain on maximum alert to defend the country’s borders and will react swiftly and decisively to any hostile move or military adventurism.

Analysts suggest that this increasingly direct exchange between Tehran and Washington has significantly heightened concerns about rising instability in the Middle East.

They warn that unless both sides show restraint and flexibility, the situation—particularly around the Strait of Hormuz—could potentially spiral into a broader global economic and security crisis.