Tehran, May 9 — Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei sharply criticized what he called the United States’ “whimsical adventurism and roguish behavior,” saying recent events had revealed the consequences of “lawless irresponsibility.” In a post on X on Friday, Baghaei said dismissive language and what he called “vermin-like nocturnal scheming” could not obscure what he described as a “profound disgrace born of narcissism, greed, reckless miscalculation, and lawless irresponsibility.” He added that “disjointed, delusional tweets no longer hold any sway over reality,” and quoted a line asserting that “the deeper they sink into folly, the more inventive they become in justifying it.”
The remarks follow an earlier X post on May 6 in which Baghaei (also spelled Baqaei in some posts) warned against “wooden-headness,” a term he used to describe self-deception in governments that assess situations by preconceived notions while ignoring contrary signs. Quoting that post, he said such behavior amounts to acting on wishful thinking rather than facts.
The comments came after US President Donald Trump described recent US action against Iranian targets as a “love tap” during a phone call with ABC News senior political correspondent Rachel Scott. Trump characterized the strikes as limited in scope and insisted a ceasefire remained in effect despite recent military exchanges between the two sides. In the call, when asked whether the ceasefire had collapsed, Trump replied, “No, no, the ceasefire is going. It’s in effect.”
Meanwhile, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said US naval forces disabled two more Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman as part of the ongoing US blockade measures and redirected 57 commercial vessels in the area. CENTCOM said US forces disabled the unladen tankers M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda before they could reach an Iranian port. A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS George H.W. Bush fired precision munitions into the smokestacks of both unladen tankers, CENTCOM said, preventing them from reaching Iranian territory. On May 6, US forces had disabled another Iranian-flagged tanker, M/T Hasna, as it tried to sail to an Iranian port.
On the diplomatic and operational front, Trump said his administration might revive the suspended maritime security effort known as “Project Freedom” to aid commercial vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz, and that if no deal is reached with Iran the effort could be expanded into what he called “Project Freedom plus.” Speaking to reporters before traveling to a private dinner, he said the renewed initiative would be similar to the previous program “plus other things,” and added, “We’ll go a different route if everything doesn’t get signed up, buttoned up.”
Trump also said his administration was awaiting a response from Tehran to Washington’s proposal aimed at ending the regional conflict, telling reporters, “We’ll hear from them supposedly tonight,” and that he was uncertain whether any delay was intentional.
This account draws on comments posted by Iranian officials on X and statements issued by US military and political sources. (ANI)
