Rouhani: US, Israel made 'fundamental miscalculation' over Iran's resilience

TEHRAN — Former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has emphasized that the United States and Israel made a "fundamental miscalculation" by severely underestimating the unwavering resilience of the Iranian nation, while praising the historic stand and legacy of Martyr Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in defeating the plots of the aggressors.

Rouhani made the remarks during a meeting with a group of former officials from his administration on Sunday.

Reflecting on the two wars launched against Iran by the US and Israel since June of last year, Rouhani noted that the Iranian people stood firm and successfully prevented them from achieving their objectives.

"Despite America’s massive military capabilities, and Israel—as a regime more ruthless than any in history, committing every act and every crime—our people stood against these two powers and did not let them reach their goals," he stated, shedding light on the illusions of Washington and Tel Aviv in dragging the region into war.

"In my view, the miscalculation the Americans made—and which the Israelis also tricked them into—was not just about how long our missile range is, how many missiles we have, whether or not our air defense is successful, or what our naval power is. Of course, they made mistakes in those calculations too, but their primary miscalculation was regarding the resilience of the nation," Rouhani said.

He explained that the US and Israel erroneously believed they could shatter Iran's national unity by assassinating military commanders, nuclear scientists, and the country's Leader. He profoundly commended the pivotal role of Martyr Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in thwarting the enemy's sinister plans.

"Our martyred Leader left a legacy for the history of Iran: that Iran will never surrender. This was the legacy left behind by the Leader. They wanted Iran to surrender, but the Leader stood firm and showed that Iran will not surrender, even though he sacrificed his life on this path and achieved martyrdom. Yet, he left this enduring legacy in history that Iran will never surrender," the former president said.

Israel initiated a war on Iran on June 13 of last year, with the US later joining the aggression by bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities. During that fierce 12-day war, the enemies targeted not only military installations but also vital civilian infrastructure and residential areas. Ultimately, they were forced to accept a ceasefire following devastating retaliatory strikes by Iran against Israel and a direct Iranian strike on a US military base in Qatar.

However, the aggressors repeated the same failed scenario months later. On February 28, the US and Israel launched a renewed war on Iran. On the very first day of the strikes, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was martyred in a cowardly attack on his office in Tehran, alongside several of his family members and senior military commanders.

After 39 days of fierce resistance, a ceasefire went into effect following a unilateral announcement by President Trump—a truce forced upon Washington in response to Iran's crushing military response against Israel and regional American bases. But the US continued its unlawful attacks despite the truce and a memorandum of understanding Trump signed with Iran in June.