Iran is ready for a long war with the US and sees only economic pressure as a way to end the conflict, according to a senior Iranian official. Kamal Kharazi, foreign policy adviser to the office of the Supreme Leader, spoke from Tehran in a CNN interview, signaling that Iran is prepared to continue military strikes across the Gulf and beyond. Kharazi made clear that diplomacy is no longer on the table, framing the war as a test of endurance for both sides.
Kharazi said the US has broken past promises during negotiations, leaving Iran distrustful and unwilling to pursue talks for now. He explained that only severe economic pain would compel other nations to pressure the US to halt its actions against Iran. “There’s no room unless the economic pressure would be built up to the extent that other countries would intervene to guarantee termination of aggression of Americans and Israelis against Iran,” he said, highlighting Tehran’s expectation that Gulf nations and global actors intervene indirectly.
The Iranian official acknowledged that the ongoing conflict has already caused widespread economic disruption. Inflation, energy shortages, and spikes in commodity prices are spreading across the region. “This war has been producing a lot of pressure on others, in terms of inflation, in terms of lack of energy, and so if it continues, this pressure will build up more, and therefore others have no choice but to intervene,” Kharazi explained. Since the conflict began, Iran has launched repeated strikes on US targets across the Middle East, claiming to focus on American interests in Gulf nations, although residential buildings and airports have also been hit.
The strikes have exposed vulnerabilities in global energy markets. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly stopped, and crude oil prices surged past $100 a barrel. Analysts estimate that around 20 percent of the world’s oil supply is disrupted, roughly double the impact seen during the Suez Crisis of 1956. The conflict has also eliminated the oil industry’s “spare capacity,” the reserve production that typically cushions global markets against shocks.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that 60 percent of its military operations are focused on US bases and strategic interests. Meanwhile, Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was recently elevated to Iran’s highest post, suggesting further escalation may follow. When asked if the military and the supreme leadership were united in strategy, Kharazi responded affirmatively. He emphasized that Iran’s leadership sees itself as fully responsible for guiding the nation’s defense capabilities under the new leadership.
US President Donald Trump called the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei unacceptable, but Kharazi dismissed the comment as irrelevant. The remarks underscore the deepening standoff between the two nations, with Tehran signaling readiness for an extended confrontation that could reshape regional stability and global energy flows.
