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Tehran : Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei sharply criticised “whimsical adventurism and roguish behaviour” of the US, saying recent developments had exposed the consequences of “lawless irresponsibility”.
In a post on X on Friday, Baghaei said that “vermin-like nocturnal scheming” and dismissive descriptions such as “a light slap” could not erase a “profound disgrace born of narcissism, greed, reckless miscalculation, and lawless irresponsibility.”
“The consequences of this whimsical adventurism and roguish behaviour have now become clear to the entire world,” he said.
Baghaei added that “disjointed, delusional tweets no longer hold any sway over reality,” while quoting a line that “the deeper they sink into folly, the more inventive they become in justifying it.”
The remarks appeared to build on an earlier X post published on May 6, in which the Iranian spokesman cited the concept of “wooden-headness” as a source of self-deception in governments.
Quoting from the earlier message, Baqaei said, “It consists in assessing a situation in terms of preconceived fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs,” adding that it reflects acting according to wishes while refusing to be guided by facts.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) described the US action against Iranian targets as a “love tap” while insisting that a ceasefire remains in effect despite the recent military exchanges between the two sides in the region.
Trump made the remarks in a phone conversation with Senior Political Correspondent for ABC News, Rachel Scott, during which he characterised the strikes as limited in scope.
“President Trump tells me in a phone call that the retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets are just a ‘love tap.’ ‘It’s just a love tap’,” Scott wrote in a post on X.
When asked by Scott whether the reported escalation meant the ceasefire had collapsed, Trump responded, “No, no, the ceasefire is going. It’s in effect.”
Meanwhile, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said that US naval forces disabled two more Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman as part of the ongoing US blockade measures against the Islamic Republic, while also redirecting 57 commercial vessels in the region.
In a statement issued on Friday, CENTCOM said US forces disabled the Iranian unladen tankers M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda before the vessels could enter a port of the Islamic Republic on the Gulf of Oman.
According to CENTCOM, a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet operating from USS George HW Bush (CVN 77) fired precision munitions into the smokestacks of both unladen oil tankers, preventing them from reaching Iranian territory.
This comes after US forces on May 6 disabled another Iranian-flagged tanker, M/T Hasna, as it attempted to sail to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman.
Meanwhile, Trump on Friday (local time) said his administration may consider reviving the now-suspended maritime security initiative, “Project Freedom”, aimed at helping the passage of commercial vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating regional tensions in the Gulf.
If a deal is not reached with Iran, Trump added that the renewed effort would be expanded into what he called “Project Freedom plus.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House before travelling to a dinner at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, Trump said that he might “go back to Project Freedom” if a deal is not reached, but it would be “Project Freedom plus”, noting that the initiative would be the same as its predecessor, “plus other things”.
“We’ll go a different route if everything doesn’t get signed up, buttoned up,” Trump said.
“I think Project Freedom is good, but I think we have other ways of doing it also. We may go back to Project Freedom if things don’t happen, but it’d be Project Freedom plus, meaning Project Freedom plus other things,” he added.
This comes after Trump on Tuesday declared that “Project Freedom” will be temporarily paused while the naval blockade of Iran’s ports remains in place.
He also said that his administration is expecting a response from Iran regarding Washington’s proposal aimed at ending the ongoing West Asia conflict.
Speaking to reporters before travelling to a dinner at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, Trump said, “We’ll hear from them supposedly tonight,” when asked whether Washington had received any response from Tehran.
When pressed on whether he believed Iran was intentionally delaying the process, Trump said he was uncertain, adding, “We’ll find out soon enough.” (ANI)
