Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Mar 26, 2026

Iran can respond to America’s ‘other options’, top official replies after Biden says he’s ready to act should diplomacy fail

Iran can respond to America’s ‘other options’, top official replies after Biden says he’s ready to act should diplomacy fail

US President Joe Biden said the US can turn to “other options” should negotiations with Iran fail. A senior Iranian official responded, saying it’s an illegal threat and that Tehran has the right to respond in kind.

The warning from Tehran was voiced on Saturday by the secretary the Supreme National Security Council, Admiral Ali Shamkhani, who tweeted it in Farsi, English, Hebrew, and Arabic.


He noted the “emphasis on using ‘Other Options’ against Iran” expressed during a meeting between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at the White House on Friday. The signal was “an illegal threat to another country” that “establishes the Islamic Republic of Iran’s right to reciprocal response to ‘Available Options,’” Shamkhani said, adding the hashtag #ActiveResistance.

The response was to the assurances given by Biden to Bennett that the US won’t hesitate to take action against Iran should the preferred path of diplomacy prove to be fruitless.

“If diplomacy fails, we’re ready to turn to other options,” the president said, without offering specifics.

The meeting in Washington came one day behind schedule after a delay due to the terrorist attack in Kabul on Thursday, which killed over 170 people, including 13 US troops. The first one-on-one meeting between the newly-elected leaders was meant to smooth the tensions that festered under Bennett’s predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu. The former prime minister was a vocal critic of the Obama-era multilateral nuclear deal with Iran, and Biden’s attempt to negotiate its revival after Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement.

The rift was exemplified by a reported lack of intelligence cooperation between Netanyahu’s government and the Biden administration. According to the New York Times, the Israelis didn’t inform the US about their planned attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear site in April until the very last moment, giving the Americans no opportunity to call it off, should they have wanted to. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the act of sabotage.

The Biden administration and Iran have been conducting indirect talks in Vienna for months, but no breakthrough has come out of it. The 2015 agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), became increasingly meaningless after Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018, and targeted Iran with crippling economic sanctions.

Tehran started reneging on its part of the bargain a year later, saying that other Western signatories of the deal failed to adequately compensate for the damage done to Iran by the US move. Under the JCPOA, Tehran agreed to restrict its nuclear industry in exchange for sanctions relief and lucrative business opportunities.

The lack of trust between Iran and the US was highlighted by the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who held his first formal meeting with the incoming conservative government on Saturday. He stressed that no administration in Washington should be trusted, regardless of who is in charge of it, saying, “There is a predatory wolf behind the scenes of US foreign policy that sometimes turns into a cunning fox.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Set for Palm Beach Return Following Saudi-Backed Summit in Miami
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Yanbu Oil Exports Toward Five Million Barrel Target
Report Highlights Saudi-US Security Discussions as Trump Administration Evaluates Iran Strategy
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits Three Billion Dollars to Elon Musk’s xAI in Strategic Technology Push
Saudi Arabia Signals Firm Shift in Iran Policy, Declares Coexistence No Longer Viable
Saudi Clubs Prepare Major Push to Sign Mohamed Salah Amid Growing Transfer Speculation
Saudi Arabia Rejects Claims It Seeks to Prolong Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Condemns Iranian Actions and Signals Firm Shift Toward Stronger Response
Saudi Arabia Reassesses Strategic Approach as Regional Tensions with Iran Intensify
Pakistan Reaffirms Strong Support for Saudi Arabia Following High-Level Visit
Saudi Arabia Expands Regional Trade Links by Opening New Land and Sea Routes to UAE
World Economic Forum Delays Saudi Conference as Regional Conflict Disrupts Global Agenda
Saudi Arabia and UAE Signal Potential Entry into Iran Conflict if Critical Infrastructure Is Targeted
Global Firms Accelerate Expansion into Saudi Arabia as Economic Reforms Gain Momentum
Global Labour Pressure Mounts as ILO Faces Calls to Reject Saudi Bid to Dismiss Migrant Worker Complaint
Gulf Powers Move Closer to Entering Iran Conflict as Regional Pressure Intensifies
Saudi Arabia Breaks Ranks with Regional Allies Over Response to Iran Escalation
Saudi Arabia Moves Closer to Direct Role as Iran Conflict Intensifies
World Economic Forum Postpones Jeddah Meeting Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
Trump to Deliver Keynote Address at Saudi-Backed Investment Summit in Miami Beach
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Press Ahead With Energy Agreements Despite Regional Conflict
Can Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu Port Replace Hormuz? Capacity Limits Test Critical Oil Lifeline
Saudi Arabia Detects Ballistic Missiles as Regional Tensions Escalate in Gulf
Saudi Aramco Reduces Oil Shipments to Asia for Second Consecutive Month
Saudi Aramco Reduces Oil Shipments to Asia for Second Consecutive Month
Saudi Arabia and UAE Push Ahead With Major Deals Despite Iran-Related Uncertainty
Formula One Cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
Pakistan Signals Strategic Realignment Toward Saudi Arabia Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Shipments to Asia as Regional Conflict Disrupts Key Export Routes
Saudi Arabia Moves to Contain Regional Escalation as Houthis Signal Readiness to Join Conflict
Saudi Arabia Signals Independent Nuclear Strategy Unaffected by Iran Tensions
Saudi Arabia Signals Independent Nuclear Strategy Unaffected by Iran Tensions
Egypt Reaffirms Strong Support for Saudi Arabia as Sisi Condemns Iran’s Gulf Attacks
Saudi Stocks Close Higher as Tadawul Index Gains 0.55% on Broad Sector Strength
Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles Toward Riyadh as Gulf Conflict Intensifies
Barcelona Midfielder Marc Casadó Attracts €40 Million Interest from Saudi Clubs
Strait of Hormuz Tensions Rise as Saudi Arabia Opens Key Air Base to US Forces
Saudi Arabia Confronts Strategic Turning Point as Iran Conflict Redefines Regional Alliances
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missile as Two Others Land in Remote Area Without Casualties
Saudi Expulsion of Iranian Military Attaché Raises Doubts Over Fragile Riyadh–Tehran Rapprochement
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic East–West Pipeline Gains Global Attention as Energy Routes Face Growing Risks
Iran Reportedly Reduces Strikes on Saudi Arabia Amid Concerns Over Strong Retaliation
Saudi Arabia Criticises Israeli Strikes in Southern Syria Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Egypt and Saudi Arabia Warn Iran’s Actions Threaten Stability Across the Gulf
Egypt and Saudi Arabia Warn Iran’s Actions Threaten Stability Across the Gulf
Saudi Arabia Unveils Comprehensive 2026 Roadmap to Streamline Company Formation
Saudi-UAE Tensions Reveal Emerging Rivalry at the Heart of Gulf Power Dynamics
Saudi Arabia Launches Gulf Maritime Support Initiative to Safeguard Shipping
Saudi Arabia Expands US Military Access as UAE Braces for Prolonged Iran Conflict
Saudi Arabia Expels Iranian Diplomats Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
×