{"id":5440,"date":"2026-08-31T05:17:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/?p=5440"},"modified":"2026-08-31T05:18:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:18:50","slug":"irans-pezeshkian-says-tehran-not-looking-for-war-after-us-attack-on-larak-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/?p=5440","title":{"rendered":"Iran\u2019s Pezeshkian says Tehran \u2018not looking for war\u2019 after US attack on Larak Island"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Tehran \u201cis not looking for war\u201d but will also \u201cnever sit still in the face of any aggression,\u201d Iran\u2019s president said on Monday in his first comments since the US\u2019 weekend attack on Iran\u2019s Larak Island.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking before departing for Kyrgyzstan for an international summit, Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would respond firmly to any further attacks, according to the Fars news agency.<\/p>\n<p>Iran \u201cwill give a decisive response to the aggressors\u201d if attacked, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstability and unrest in the region are not in the interest of any country and will challenge everyone,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Pezeshkian is due in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek to attend a summit of heads of state of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Iran says it downed US drone over Strait of Hormuz<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that it had shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz, causing it to crash into the waters of the Gulf.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, the IRGC public relations office said the &#8220;ever-watchful fighters of the IRGC&#8217;s modern air defence&#8221; hit the long-range US MQ-9 Reaper drone with missile fire early on\u00a0Monday, causing it to fall into the Gulf, according to Iran&#8217;s\u00a0<em>Mehr News Agency<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The statement also praised the Iranian people&#8217;s continued presence in the field as the greatest support for the nation&#8217;s fighters.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Trump shares AI-generated video imagining Iranian island \u2018being blown to smithereens&#8217;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s energy hub of Kharg Island is being &#8220;blown to smithereens&#8221;, US\u00a0President Donald Trump \u200bsaid on Sunday in a one-line social media post accompanied by an AI-generated video clip.<\/p>\n<div data-oembed-url=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/117187722429803464\">\n<div class=\"iframely-embed\">\n<div class=\"iframely-responsive\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/iframely.net\/api\/iframe?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftruthsocial.com%2F%40realDonaldTrump%2F117187722429803464&amp;key=73b4a3e6895a3640b0439dc45f68e4f8&amp;v=1&amp;app=1\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>There was no other evidence that the Iranian energy hub was under \u200cattack. The White House and the US\u00a0Defence Department did not immediately respond to\u00a0<em>Reuters\u00a0<\/em>requests for comment outside regular business hours.<\/p>\n<p>There was no immediate response to Trump&#8217;s post on Iranian media.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT,&#8221; Trump said on social media, but gave no further details.<\/p>\n<p><em>Reuters\u00a0<\/em>confirmed that an accompanying video clip showing dramatic explosions was most likely synthetically generated, using software that detects AI-manipulated imagery.<\/p>\n<p>Attacking\u00a0Kharg, which handled 90% \u200bof Iran&#8217;s oil exports before the war launched by US\u00a0and Israeli attacks on February 28, would severely disrupt its energy trade and put huge pressure on its \u200beconomy.<\/p>\n<p>Iran responded to an earlier US\u00a0attack on rocket launchers on its island of Larak, about 660 km (410 miles) east of Kharg, with \u2060an assault on two US\u00a0bases in Jordan, Iranian media said.<\/p>\n<p>The return to hostilities followed weeks in which the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to punish Tehran and its \u200bbusiness partners with costly economic sanctions, shifting away from military options.<\/p>\n<p>US\u00a0Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent\u00a0told\u00a0<em>Reuters\u00a0<\/em>on Sunday\u00a0new secondary sanctions were likely to be unveiled weekly in the effort to pressure \u200bIran, with an initial focus on banks.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re starting with the banks, and we&#8217;re telling the banks it&#8217;s not okay to have Iranian money and to aid the regime,&#8221; Bessent said in an interview.<\/p>\n<p>After imposing penalties on the United Arab Emirates branches of Egypt&#8217;s Banque Misr on Friday over alleged financial links to Iran, Bessent said the next step may be cutting off an institution entirely from the dollar-based financial system.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re \u200bgoing to see a lot more of these every week,&#8221; Bessent told\u00a0<em>Reuters<\/em>, ahead of a meeting of Group of 20 finance leaders.<\/p>\n<p><strong>First known military attacks in weeks<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In describing the first \u200bknown US\u00a0military strikes since\u00a0late July, a US\u00a0official said forces attacked two Iranian launchers on Larak Island.<\/p>\n<p>The small island in the Strait of Hormuz near the strategic port of Bandar Abbas overlooks shipping \u200clanes at \u2060the mouth of the Gulf, giving it a key role in tension over Iran, maritime security and global energy supplies.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,&#8221; the source added.<\/p>\n<p>In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Jordan, targeting two US\u00a0bases. Jordan&#8217;s armed forces had intercepted eight missiles that entered its airspace, state television said.<\/p>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s Revolutionary Guards said the attack killed and wounded several soldiers and citizens and vowed a &#8220;response and punishment&#8221; from Tehran, according to Iranian state media.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, the US\u00a0\u200bCentral Command said it took &#8220;limited, precise&#8221; action against \u200bminelaying forces of Iran&#8217;s Revolutionary Guards that \u2060posed an &#8220;imminent threat&#8221; in the Strait of Hormuz. It gave no details.<\/p>\n<div data-oembed-url=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CENTCOM\/status\/2094228119079067852?s=20\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=etribune&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2094228119079067852&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F2626677%2Firans-pezeshkian-says-tehran-not-looking-for-war-after-us-attack-on-larak-island&amp;sessionId=2028ffe3e2d693a5e072d10e0a7a4fc26582b687&amp;siteScreenName=etribune&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"2094228119079067852\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Amid threats to shipping, the number of visible commodity vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz dropped to \u200bfive a day over the \u2060weekend, shipping data showed.<\/p>\n<p>The actual number could be higher as some vessels have switched off automatic identification systems to evade attacks.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, US\u00a0President\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/donald-trump\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0said all mines had been detonated or removed from the international waters of the strait and Iran had been warned that any vessel placing new mines would be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>While Trump has repeatedly said the Strait of Hormuz is open, Iran&#8217;s \u2060Revolutionary Guards&#8217; navy \u200bhad called those statements &#8220;an obvious lie&#8221;, reiterating that it remained closed to ships without Iranian permission.<\/p>\n<p>The waterway carried \u200bnearly a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before it was blockaded in the six-month-old Iran war.<\/p>\n<p>Iran is the third-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tehran \u201cis not looking for war\u201d but will also \u201cnever sit still in the face of any aggression,\u201d Iran\u2019s president said on Monday in his first comments since the US\u2019 weekend attack on Iran\u2019s Larak Island. Speaking before departing for Kyrgyzstan for an international summit, Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would respond firmly to any further &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5440"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5442,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5440\/revisions\/5442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}