By Sakina Datoo
Iran will retaliate against any country, including Europeans, if it is proven that they were complicit in the US war against Iran, according to a senior Iranian lawmaker.
Speaking to international journalists in Mashhad covering the funeral of the martyred Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian Parliament’s Foreign Policy and National Security Commission, said Iran had repeatedly warned European countries not to allow themselves to be used as pawns by the United States and instead to pursue independent policies.
He said that if Italy had indeed allowed its territory to be used to launch attacks against Iran, Tehran would retaliate not only proportionately, but even more forcefully.
The remarks came in the wake of the recent US-Israeli war against Iran, during which Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was martyred along with other senior officials, while civilian and scientific infrastructure across the country was also damaged.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently said that the United States had used Italian military bases in military operations against Iran. However, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani denied the claim during a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“Any country that allows its territory to be used to attack us is complicit in a war against us, and we will retaliate, just as we did with the Persian Gulf countries,” Azizi said.
‘Finger on the trigger’
Despite Iran currently holding the largest funeral ceremony in modern history, Azizi said the Islamic Republic still has its “finger on the trigger.”
He warned that if the United States violates the ceasefire agreement by threatening Iran’s security, Iran would target US assets wherever they may be.
“One more miscalculation on their part, and our response will be beyond their imagination,” he said.
Mourners perform traditional dammam drumming in Mashhad, NE Iran, ahead of the funeral procession for the martyred Leader. pic.twitter.com/HumOb1J7iN
— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) July 9, 2026
He added that it would not be out of character for the US president to reignite the war, even though perpetual conflict is not in the interests of the American people.
Azizi also said Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz if the United States continues violating the ceasefire, warning that such a move could trigger severe disruption to the global economy, for which Washington would bear responsibility.
‘US entangled with clown president’
Responding to a question about whether China had pressured Iran into signing the memorandum of understanding with the United States, Azizi said Iran does not yield to pressure from either friends or adversaries.
He added that China has never pressured Iran to take any action contrary to its national interests.
According to Azizi, it was Pakistan that called on Iran to participate in the negotiations and assured Tehran that it could be trusted. Iran accepted the request despite believing that the United States would not honor its commitments, he said, because Pakistan is a brotherly nation.
However, he stressed that Pakistan should now hold the United States accountable for violating the ceasefire, while adding that Iran does not want to see Washington using Pakistan as a tool.
“We are prepared for the Americans,” Azizi said. “The US can no longer threaten Iran, that era is over. Whatever attack they launch, they will receive more than they deliver. The United States is entangled with its clown president; the world needs a reset.”
Iran’s ties with Persian Gulf states
Asked whether the war had improved Iran’s relations with Persian Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and whether Tehran now believed they would no longer allow the United States to launch attacks from their territory, Azizi said he remained skeptical.
He said he had been in Saudi Arabia discussing bilateral cooperation only days before the 40-day war began and had warned Persian Gulf states that they could not rely on the United States to guarantee their security.
According to Azizi, Iran has consistently encouraged its neighbors to deepen cooperation with Tehran across various fields for their mutual benefit, but some ultimately sided against Iran despite those discussions.
Throughout the war, Iran repeatedly targeted US military installations in Persian Gulf states after they allowed Washington to use their territory in support of the war effort. According to Iranian reports, strikes damaged at least 20 US military sites across the region.
The use of Persian Gulf territory for US military operations has remained one of Tehran’s central grievances.
Iranian officials have repeatedly maintained that their retaliation is directed at US military assets operating from those countries, not at the host nations themselves.
