Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and top negotiator, stated on Sunday that Iran's "proportionate responses" to U.S. attacks are over, warning that any future violation of Iran's interests and security will receive a "faster, heavier, and more painful" response. He also acknowledged the severe economic pressures facing Iran, including exchange rate fluctuations, inflation, and unemployment.

Ghalibaf's remarks follow U.S. forces striking three Iranian crude oil carriers, which the U.S. Central Command said was in retaliation for ballistic missile launches by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps toward two Navy warships. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated that if Iran shoots at U.S. ships, their oil tankers will be destroyed. The conflict has significantly disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz and led to sweeping U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's ec