Iranian MP: world “on the brink of World War three”

Iranian parliamentarian Kamran Ghazanfari stated that the region “is effectively on the brink of World War Three,” listing several global flashpoints. This was reported by Iran International, citing an interview Ghazanfari gave to the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) on September 9.

Ghazanfari, who represents Tehran in the Iranian parliament, pointed to NATO’s support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, as well as tensions between Moscow and the United Kingdom and Germany, as factors increasing the likelihood of the conflict spreading to other European countries. He described the American-Chinese dispute over Taiwan as “another flashpoint for a large-scale global conflict,” framing the current hostilities as part of a global great-power confrontation rather than a localized regional conflict.

In the same interview, Ghazanfari raised the possibility of Iran withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, stating that the issue could return to the parliamentary agenda. He gave no specific timeline, and the Iranian government has not confirmed any official steps in that direction.

The remarks also carried a domestic political message. Ghazanfari, who is openly critical of the ongoing negotiations with the United States, warned Iran’s negotiating team not to cross the Supreme Leader’s red lines. He said the United States “has repeatedly threatened Iran and members of its negotiating team during two months of talks,” and that any agreement reached under such conditions lacks legal force under international law.

The Jerusalem Post noted that Ghazanfari’s remarks appear to reflect the views of a segment of Iranian hawkish politicians and elites linked to the IRGC, who see the conflict as a regional and global confrontation in which Iran seeks to challenge the US-led world order alongside Russia and China.

The rhetoric comes against a backdrop of intensifying military clashes. US Central Command reported that on September 8 its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers, striking targets near Kharg Island and Jask. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that any further Iranian attempts to attack American naval vessels would come at a steep price.

“Every time they do this or try to do this, they will lose tankers,” Rubio said.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated that they had launched retaliatory ballistic missile strikes against what they described as the American base of Az-Zark in Jordan. US Central Command denied Iranian claims of hitting American naval vessels, publishing a statement saying that “no US Navy ships were hit; all IRGC attack attempts failed.” On Wednesday, Brent crude prices broke through the level of approximately €86 per barrel, as markets assessed the risks of further disruptions to energy supplies.