Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has issued a direct and calculated response to fresh provocations from the US administration, exposing Washington’s exhausted playbook in the oil market while Tehran holds decisive strategic cards.
Speaker Qalibaf on Sunday took to social media to dismantle American bravado over energy leverage, reminding Washington that the global oil equation remains firmly balanced, with Iran still possessing major unplayed cards.
He posted on X, “They brag about the cards.
Let's see:
Supply Cards= Demand Cards
SOH (partly played)+BEM(unplayed)+Pipelines(unplayed)= Inv Release (played)+Demand Destruction (partly played)+More Price Adj (to come)
Add summer vacation to the right unless they want to cancel it for the US!”
The message was interpreted by analysts as a calm, factual warning to US policymakers: do not mistake temporary market maneuvers for real strength. While the Islamic Republic has only partially activated its options -- including the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and key pipeline routes -- the United States has already burned through its easiest and most immediate measures, notably Strategic Petroleum Reserve releases and limited demand-side pressure.
Iran’s strategic depth versus US vulnerability
Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that the Islamic Republic maintains full sovereign control over critical energy chokepoints that supply a massive share of the world’s oil. These assets remain largely unplayed, giving Tehran significant flexibility to respond to any escalation.
In contrast, Washington’s toolkit is visibly depleted. The US has already drawn heavily on emergency reserves and witnessed partial demand erosion, leaving it with few genuine options as the American summer driving season -- a period of peak gasoline consumption -- approaches.
Analysts note that further US provocations risk driving pump prices toward six dollars a gallon or higher, directly threatening the summer vacation plans of ordinary American families.
Speaker Qalibaf’s pointed reference to “summer vacation” underscores the domestic political cost the US administration would face if its aggressive posture backfires on voters.
Press TV’s website
