Masoud Pezeshkian Slams Donald Trump Threats to Target Iran’s Critical Infrastructure

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised US President Donald Trump’s threats to target bridges, power plants and other critical infrastructure, calling the remarks “a sign of desperation in the face of a nation's will.”

Pezeshkian said in a post on X that “Critical infrastructures are the lifeblood of the people,” and he condemned threats to target transportation networks and the electricity and water industries.

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The comments came after Trump promised further military action against Iran following US strikes carried out in response to the downing of an American Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump told reporters at the White House, “Well, we're going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard,” and he said, “We hit them hard yesterday, and we're going to hit them again hard today...”.

Iran’s national security commission head Ebrahim Azizi also reacted sharply, writing on X that “We are not afraid of fighting losers.”

Pezeshkian vowed that Iran would “resist” any pressure or threat against critical infrastructure after Trump threatened continued military strikes, and he said Iran would rely on domestic expertise and national unity to confront external pressure.

In the same exchange, Azizi wrote on X that “The number of American casualties is already far higher than Trump confirms, and it will rise,” as Trump signaled indifference to negotiations.

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A diplomat familiar with the matter said negotiators from Qatar, which has been assisting mediation efforts alongside Pakistan, travelled to Tehran on Wednesday to meet Iranian officials and attempt to narrow the remaining differences between the two sides.

TRT World also framed Pezeshkian’s remarks as a push to move beyond the “no war, no peace” situation, quoting him saying “We must move beyond the state of neither war nor peace,” as negotiations with the United States were revived.

The Anadolu Ajansı account tied Pezeshkian’s warning directly to Trump’s threat to continue strikes, quoting him that “Threats to target them — from transportation networks to the electricity and water industries — are not a show of strength but a sign of desperation.”

Beyond the immediate threat cycle, Pezeshkian told an event in Tehran that “War is certainly not in the country’s interest,” while adding that if adversaries seek to violate “our dignity, our land and our territory,” Iran “will not surrender.”

TRT World reported that the remarks came after overnight exchanges between Iranian and US forces, with CENTCOM saying American fighter jets struck Iranian air defence systems and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz in response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter.

Iran’s Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched retaliatory attacks on 21 American military targets at US air and naval bases across the region, according to TRT World.

In a separate framing of the same confrontation, PressTV said Pezeshkian told a memorial ceremony that Iran’s adversaries have sought to create divisions within society, and he said “One of the most important components of a country's power is internal unity and internal cohesion.”

The Express Tribune further reported that Pezeshkian’s vow to stand firm came as Trump threatened to attack Iran “very hard,” and it quoted Pezeshkian on X that “Iran, relying on the knowledge and capabilities of its specialists, national unity, and solidarity, will stand firm against any pressure or threat.”