TEHRAN – Iranian officials have warned that the government is preparing for a long war with the United States and suggested it is prepared to continue attacking Gulf states in a bid to persuade President Donald Trump to withdraw from the conflict.
The warning came in an exclusive CNN interview with Kamal Khalaj, a foreign policy adviser in the Supreme Leader’s Office, in Tehran, where he ruled out diplomacy for now and said the war would end only with economic suffering, signaling a hardening of the government’s stance on the 10th day of the conflict.
“I don’t think there’s any room for diplomacy anymore, because Donald Trump deceived others and didn’t keep his promises, and we experienced this in two rounds of negotiations. It hit us during the negotiations,” Karaji told CNN on Monday.
“There is no room unless other countries build up economic pressure to the extent of intervening to guarantee an end to American and Israeli aggression against Iran,” Khalaj said, suggesting that Gulf Arab states and other countries needed to put pressure on the United States to end the war.
“This war is creating a lot of pressure, economic pressure, on other countries in terms of inflation and energy shortages. So if this war continues, this pressure will increase even more. Therefore, other countries have no option (but) to intervene,” he said.
Since the United States and Israel began the war, Iran has attacked numerous countries across the Middle East. Homes and airports have also been repeatedly attacked, although the Iranian government says it is targeting U.S. interests in the Gulf.
Iran’s attack took advantage of vulnerabilities in global energy trade, including infrastructure and transportation routes. Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has all but collapsed, and oil prices soared to more than $100 a barrel on Monday, rattling wallets and stock markets.
According to historical data from Rapidan Energy Group, an estimated 20% of the world’s oil supply is disrupted by ongoing conflict, about twice the size of the record set during the Suez crisis of 1956-1957.
The war not only disrupted the flow of oil from the region, but also effectively eliminated the “excess production capacity” that normally acts as a shock absorber in energy markets. Spare capacity measures how quickly more oil production can be brought back online if needed.
A spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that Iran is using 60% of its firepower to attack US military bases and “strategic interests” in the region.
Meanwhile, Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, was elevated to the country’s highest office over the weekend, hinting at the possibility of further escalation.
When asked if Iran’s military and supreme leadership would continue to be united, Khalaj said: “Yes.”
“The responsibility of the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to lead Iran’s defense forces, so just as Khamenei was doing it, now the new leader will do it.”
President Trump last week said it was “unacceptable” for Khamenei to be named as his father’s successor.
“That’s none of his business,” Karaji said.
Editor’s note: CNN operates in Iran with permission from the Iranian government, subject to local regulations. CNN maintains full editorial control over its reporting. The Iranian government does not review, approve, or preview CNN reporting prior to publication or broadcast.
CNN’s Kara Fox, Katherine Nichols and Matt Egan contributed reporting.
