Iran security chief says Trump's threats to hit harder are 'empty'

Iran's security chief Ali Larijani issued on Tuesday a veiled threat to US President Donald Trump, warning him to be careful "not to be eliminated" and saying the Islamic republic was not afraid of his "empty threats."

"Iran is not afraid of your empty threats. Even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation," said Larijani in a post on X.

His remarks came in response to a post by Trump threatening to hit Iran harder if it stops the oil flow through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

"Take care of yourself not to be eliminated!" Larijani added.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump had said "if Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit by us thus far."

On February 28, the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered a war that has spread across the Middle East.

Iran has responded with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel and countries across the region.

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20 percent of the world's crude oil usually transits, has been severely disrupted.

Iranian forces have threatened to block "the export of a single litre of oil from the region" to allies of the United States and Israel as long as the war continues.