An analysis of statements made by top Iranian officials shows that Iran does not take Secretary of State John Kerry’s threat of military force seriously.
Kerry warned in an interview with the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya channel that if Iran were to restart its uranium enrichment program that the United States military option is "ready and prepared."
"If they decided they're going to throw this agreement away and go start enrichment again, sure, they can turn around," said Kerry. "But guess what? If they do that, then the military option that is available to the United States is ready and prepared to do what it would have to do."
An analysis by the Middle East Media Research Institute of comments made by top Iranian officials in reaction to Kerry's statement shows that Iran thinks Kerry is bluffing.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said earlier this month that the United States doesn’t have the ability to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program.
"If the Americans are not acting in a [particular] issue, the reason for this is lack of capability, not lack of hostility," said Khamenei. "They [the Americans] have said, 'If we could, we would dismantle Iran's nuclear industry'–but they cannot ... The recent talks showed both America's hostility and its impotence."
"What kind of action–or mistake–could they possibly take against Iran?" said Khamenei on Sunday.
Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Mohammad Ali Ja'fari, said that Iran has no fear of the United States' "miniscule and shabby" military threat.
"Mr Kerry, in the eyes of the true fighters, the U.S., with all its military force, is miniscule and shabby," said Ja’fari. "Your military option will remain only on the table."
"Iran has no fear of this threat, and it and its revolutionary allies worldwide will unite to respond," Ja’fari said.
On Tuesday, Iranian Army Chief of Staff Hassan Firouzabadi said that the "military option that is today on the table in the U.S. has become a joke among the nations."
Top adviser to Khamenei, Ali Akbar Velayati, said that Kerry’s declarations are a bluff.
"These declarations are more of a bluff," said Velayati. "Obviously the Americans do not have this capability, because if they did, they would not have been expelled, completely weakened, from Iraq and Afghanistan."
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi expressed disbelief that Kerry was anointed U.S. Secretary of State.
"People are wondering how a man who does not know how to speak was appointed Secretary of State," said Shirazi.