Iran's President Declares He Has Enough Power to Defeat Enemies

"Iran is too great to be threatened by any country. With God's help, we will overcome this difficult period with glory, hold our heads high and defeat our enemies," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on May 14 during a meeting with Sunni Muslim clerics in the country.

Mr. Rouhani's statement was made in the context of the US deploying a large military force including many warships, strategic bombers and Patriot missiles to the Middle East to deal with "threats from Tehran". Observers warned that the conflict between the US and Iran could break out from "unexpected incidents" that escalate out of control.

Regional tensions have risen after four Saudi and Norwegian cargo ships were attacked with explosives off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The US suspects Iran was behind the attacks, while Tehran has called for an investigation into what it called an “alarming” incident.

On the same day, senior Iranian parliamentarian Behrouz Nemati accused Israel of being behind the attacks. However, Nemati did not provide evidence and so far no organization has claimed responsibility for the series of attacks on cargo ships.

US-Iran relations have deteriorated since President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear activities and imposed sanctions on Tehran. However, the leaders of both countries have so far expressed their desire not to go to war, despite continuing to make tough statements against each other.