Iran Threatens ‘Harsh’ Retaliation as Trump-Netanyahu Summit Tests Fragile Ceasefire

TEHRAN — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned today that Tehran will deliver an "immediate and harsh" response to any new act of aggression, a declaration that sharply escalates volatility just days before a pivotal security summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The rhetoric marks a potential breaking point for the fragile ceasefire established following June’s "12-Day War." It further signals that the window for reviving nuclear diplomacy—already virtually shut since the suspension of talks in mid-June—is now effectively sealed.

Pezeshkian’s comments, broadcast across state media, appear to be a direct counter-signal to reports that Israeli intelligence has briefed Washington on "unusual air activity" at Iranian ballistic missile sites—facilities that were primary targets during the joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign earlier this year.

"Any act of aggression will be met with a harsh, immediate response," Pezeshkian stated. This reinforces a warning issued earlier this week by Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who emphasized that Tehran’s rules of engagement no longer require external "permission," implying a shift toward decentralized, rapid-response command structures.

Geopolitical Pivot Point The timing is calculated. Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to meet President Trump in Florida this week, with the agenda reportedly focused on future military contingencies and a potential "International Stabilization Force."

For market observers tracking regional stability, the convergence of the summit and Iran’s renewed posturing suggests a pivot away from the negotiating table and back toward kinetic risk. With nuclear negotiations suspended since June 13, the trajectory points toward continued "maximum pressure." Pezeshkian described the current climate as a "full-fledged war with America, Israel, and Europe," characterizing the economic and military siege as more severe than the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s.

Internal Fragility Tehran’s external aggression likely masks domestic vulnerability. The regime is grappling with renewed protests sparked by currency devaluation and economic stagnation. By framing the standoff as an existential struggle against Western destabilization, the leadership appears to be attempting to consolidate internal control while deterring preemptive strikes.

While the Trump administration officially maintains that sanctions remain its primary tool, the reactivation of Iranian military assets and the upcoming Florida summit significantly raise the probability of a ceasefire violation—potentially involving drone or missile exchanges—before the year's end.