Iran says ready to ‘teach a lesson’ if attacked after Trump calls Tehran’s latest peace proposal ‘garbage’

Iran warned on Monday that its armed forces were ready to “teach a lesson” to any aggressor after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest counter-proposal aimed at maintaining a fragile Middle East ceasefire.The heated exchange further heightened tensions in the region and roiled global energy markets strained by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.Trump told reporters in Washington that Iran’s response to the U.S.-backed proposal was “totally unacceptable” but said the ceasefire was a “huge life support.”“The ceasefire required a lot of life support, and the doctors came in and said, ‘Sir, your loved one has about a one percent chance of survival,'” Trump said.In response to Trump’s remarks, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Tehran is fully prepared for any confrontation.Ghalibaf wrote onIran’s foreign ministry said Tehran’s proposal required the United States to end a naval blockade of Iranian ports and halt military operations “across the region,” including Israeli attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The ministry also called for the release of Iranian assets that have been frozen for years due to sanctions.“We are not asking for any concessions. The only thing we are asking for is Iran’s legal rights,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said.The standoff has heightened concerns about the future of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran tightening restrictions on maritime traffic and introducing tolls on passing ships. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that allowing Tehran to control the strategic waterway would be “unacceptable.”The crisis has also heightened concerns about the wider humanitarian and economic impacts. Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said the current disruption represented the “biggest” energy supply shock the world has ever experienced.Meanwhile, the United Nations has warned that prolonged disruption could trigger severe global food shortages due to reduced fertilizer exports from Gulf ports. UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva said the world had only weeks left to avoid a “large-scale humanitarian crisis”.“We could be witnessing a crisis that forces another 45 million people into hunger,” he said.The conflict has also reignited concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. The United States and Israel have long accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists military operations will continue until Iran’s nuclear facilities are destroyed.