'Couldn’t do anything in 47 years': Iran's representative in India on Trump's warning on Strait of Hormuz

AMid rising tensions betwixt the United States and islamic republic of islamic republic of iran, Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, the representative of Iran’s sublime Leader in republic of india, on Monday strongly pushed back against recent remarks by US President Donald Trump and said it was a "big mistake" to start the war in Iran, which has had wide-ranging repercussions.His remark came after Trump on Sunday, issued a strong warning to Iran, urging the Islamic Republic to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz as the conflict in West Asia escalates, while threatening severe consequences if it fails to do so.Also read | Donald Trump extends Iran deadline in cryptic post. What to expect if Tehran doesn't oblige?Responding to Trump’s warning against Iran, Ilahi said such statements were not unprecedented and reflected a pattern seen over decades. “It is not anything new... They couldn't do anything to us for 47 years. They can't do anything else.” he told news agency ANI. Ilahi also rejected Trump’s assertion that the US had already “won” the war, pointing to the continued duration of the conflict. “We can answer this in battle and on the streets. They wanted to do something within three days, but now it has been more than a month,” the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India was quoted as saying by ANI.Even as he criticised Washington, Ilahi stressed the need to shift focus toward de-escalation and diplomacy.Also read | F-15 airman's 3-word message after Iran shootdown made US fear ‘false signals’ trap"We have to talk about peace. We have to bring peace to the world... Indian diplomacy is very good, and they can also play a more significant role in this issue... From the beginning, it was a very big mistake. It wasn't just this war against Iran, but this war was against all human beings; it was against the whole world. You will see that the result of this war is that a lot of people in different countries are suffering at the moment..."Ilahi also said that the language of leaders reflects their personal values and approach. "The language which every human being uses is the manifestation of his personality and his humanity and his morality. So, someone who uses rude language means that this is their personality. Even a lot of American senators denied using that language."Global impact and call for collective actionHighlighting the wider fallout of the conflict, Ilahi pointed to the economic consequences already being felt globally, particularly in energy and shipping sectors."All countries can play a big role in stopping this war. Because now the war affects a lot of people. The price of oil has increased, and even the price of shipping has increased... So I think it is very necessary and important to set exactly the time in which the media and world leaders come together and they ask President Trump to stop this war."While firmly defending Iran’s position, Ilahi’s remarks also carried a wider appeal — urging countries, leaders and the media to work collectively to end the conflict and limit its impact on ordinary people.(With ANI inputs)