Seizing one US base would decide war against ‘largest imperialist army’: Iranian hardliner MP

In a recent speech, Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran’s former foreign minister and current member of parliament representing Tehran, asserted that capturing a single American military base would determine the outcome of the conflict with the United States.

“If we capture just one of the American bases, we will finalise and finish the fate of the war against the largest imperialist army in the world,” Mottaki said, according to video circulating widely on social media, including a post by the Open Source Intel that amplified the remarks.

The comments, delivered at a podium event covered by Iranian outlets such as SNN, align with a pattern of increasingly assertive statements from Mottaki amid the prolonged US-Iran confrontation that began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes in late February 2026.

Proposal to take about 200 US personnel hostage

Mottaki served as Iran’s foreign minister from 2005 to 2010 under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

He has remained a prominent hardline voice in the Majles (parliament) and a frequent commentator on state media.

Earlier this year, he repeatedly floated similar ideas. In a June 2026 appearance on Iranian Channel 1, he argued Iran could conduct a “serious ground war,” called US bases in the region legitimate targets already being struck, and proposed seizing one to take about 100 American personnel hostage and transfer them to Iran.

In a July interview on IRINN TV, he escalated further, suggesting Iran could occupy bases in Iraq, Kuwait, or Bahrain with local support, capture around 200 US “prisoners,” and thereby “completely disarm” the United States and halt its campaign.

He also urged declaring Jordan and six Gulf states as hostile, making their entire territories legitimate targets, and warned Ukraine over UAV supplies.

These proposals echo elements of Iran’s 1979 hostage crisis strategy, treating captured personnel as leverage.

Mottaki has framed them as responses to US airstrikes, threats involving sites such as Kharg Island, and the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which Iranian officials attribute to US and Israeli actions.

60-day period under MoU lapses

The remarks come as a 60-day period under a June 2026 U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at ending hostilities and addressing the Strait of Hormuz expired without a permanent deal.

Talks have stalled amid mutual accusations of violations, continued exchanges of fire, Iranian threats of a shift to a “fully offensive” posture, and US naval measures affecting shipping and Iranian oil flows. independent.

US forces maintain a network of bases and facilities in the Gulf region, including in Bahrain (home to the Fifth Fleet), Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and elsewhere.

These have faced Iranian drone, missile, and other attacks during the conflict, though major ground seizures of the type Mottaki describes have not occurred.

Iranian officials have also discussed fortifications and preparations for possible wider ground fighting, while dismissing US ground-war threats as bluffs.

Independent analysts and observers have widely described Mottaki’s base-seizure claims as highly ambitious and logistically challenging, given US air superiority, intelligence capabilities, regional geography (including water barriers to some sites), and the rapid response potential of American and allied forces.

Historical precedents, such as the 1991 expulsion of Iraqi forces from Kuwait, are often cited in skepticism toward such scenarios.

Mottaki’s latest comments have drawn mixed reactions online, ranging from dismissal as delusional or propagandistic to expressions of concern that they signal an intent to escalate beyond missile and proxy warfare.

Iranian state media continues to highlight defensive and offensive preparations, while US officials have focused on degrading Iranian capabilities and maintaining pressure through military and economic means.

The statements underscore the persistent hardline rhetoric within parts of Iran’s political establishment even as diplomatic channels remain intermittently active through mediators.

Whether they reflect operational planning or primarily domestic messaging remains unclear, as Tehran has not publicly confirmed concrete preparations matching the scale of a base-seizure operation.