Iran Says It Will Not Start Wars but Will Defend Firmly If Invaded
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber said on January 29 that the current government has remained on a war footing since taking office. Tehran stated it will not initiate conflict but warned that it will mount a firm defense if invaded, asserting that “the outcome of a war will not be decided by the enemy.” The comments frame Iran’s posture as defensive amid regional tensions and signal readiness for military response if attacked. Key points: Iran maintains high readiness; official reassurance of non-aggression; clear warning of decisive self-defense.
Neutral
The announcement is primarily a political and military posture statement rather than a new sanction, attack, or specific escalation event. For crypto markets, outright conflict or major escalation in the Middle East tends to cause short-term risk-off moves (sell-offs in equities and risk assets, safe-haven flows into USD and gold), which can put downward pressure on crypto prices briefly. However, a declarative defensive stance without immediate kinetic action is unlikely to trigger sustained market-moving effects. Traders should expect elevated volatility and potential short-term price swings if news flow intensifies, but absent concrete military incidents or wider regional escalation, the longer-term impact on crypto fundamentals and market trajectory should be limited. This parallels past instances where rhetoric raised volatility (e.g., periodic Iran-related tensions) but only produced major crypto market impacts when followed by actual strikes, sanctions, or disrupted oil supply. Recommended trader actions: monitor news for any escalation, watch risk indicators (VIX, USD strength, oil), consider reducing leverage near spikes in geopolitical headlines, and use stop-losses to manage short-term volatility.