Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, has blamed the United States for reigniting conflict in the Gulf region. According to a report by Al Jazeera, Velayati stated on his X account that former U.S. President Donald Trump’s verbal acknowledgment of canceling a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding has once again pushed the region toward instability.

Velayati emphasized that Iran had previously warned the Gulf was not a place for small nations to gamble politically and asserted that Tehran has repeatedly demonstrated its readiness to respond immediately to any act of audacity. He added that Iran’s finger remains on the trigger and that the country will not remain silent in the face of insult or provocation.

The comments come amid heightened regional tensions, with Iran signaling a firm stance against perceived U.S. aggression and asserting its preparedness for swift retaliation.