Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed the Trump administration’s escalating military and economic pressure on Tehran, arguing that efforts to force Iran back to negotiations have failed. In a post on X on Tuesday, Qalibaf targeted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directly.

Qalibaf stated that Americans believe squeezing Iran harder will win concessions that were never part of any agreement. He added, "Bessent and Hegseth are way out of their league. Stop waiting for the clown crew to pull a rabbit out of their hat and clean up the mess you made."

Hegseth Defends Military Campaign

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the US military campaign on Monday, asserting it was necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Speaking at an Iowa State Fair event, Hegseth said there is a cost to defending the country and ensuring "radical Islamist crazies don’t get a nuclear weapon."

He added, "I’m not willing to look my kids in the eye and say, ‘We had a chance to do something about it, but we didn’t.’"

Separately, Bessent indicated last week that Washington could impose sanctions on Iran that have "never been seen."

Ceasefire Tensions Rise

Tensions intensified after a vessel was reportedly struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a crew casualty. Iranian officials rejected President Donald Trump’s claim of control over the waterway.

Mohsen Rezaee mocked Washington’s distance from the strait and called for a "post-American order in the Persian Gulf." Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of blocking a ceasefire agreement and stated that Trump’s effort to force Iran into "unconditional surrender" had failed.

Trump refused to extend a 60-day US-Iran memorandum that expired on Monday. This decision raised fresh concerns over renewed conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Strait Remains Blocked

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority rejected Trump’s claims earlier this month that the US controlled the Strait of Hormuz through a naval "wall of steel." The authority stated the waterway remained blocked and would not reopen until Iran’s conditions were accepted.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran has decided to shift its national security policy from a defensive posture to a 'fully offensive' one. The statement marks a significant rhetorical hardening in Tehran's approach to regional and international negotiations.

Policy Shift and Diplomatic Stance

The official emphasized that relying on mediators or pressuring the United States to reach a lasting peace is not realistic under current conditions. Instead, Iran is adopting a more assertive stance, signaling a departure from previous diplomatic frameworks.

Deadline for Implementation

Key elements of the announcement include:

• Deadline: A timeframe of a few weeks has been set for the full implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by the United States.
• Escalation Warning: All Iranian entities are prepared to escalate tensions in the Hormuz Strait and the wider region if diplomatic efforts fail.

What the Numbers Show

The source does not provide quantitative financial data, revenue figures, or economic metrics. The analytical observation is limited to the qualitative shift in policy language from 'defensive' to 'fully offensive', indicating a strategic recalibration rather than an operational financial change.