Oct 22 — Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Rezaei said there
is a cost to any action against Iran and that Tehran prefers diplomacy if
consensus can be reached. He warned that if the conflict continues Iran has the
means to respond and that the ongoing situation will have strategic
consequences, including sustained turmoil in energy markets over the next three
years. Rezaei added the war has shifted dynamics in Iran’s favor as Gulf states
rapidly redefine relations, increasingly concluding US forces cannot be relied
on to defend their bases or countries.