Iran warned on Monday that its armed forces were ready to “teach a lesson” to any aggressor after US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest counteroffer aimed at preserving the fragile Middle East ceasefire.The intense exchange further escalated tensions in the region and disrupted already strained global energy markets due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.Trump, speaking to reporters in Washington, said the ceasefire was “largely life support” after dismissing Iran’s response to the US-backed resolution as “completely unacceptable”.“The ceasefire is largely on life support, where the doctors come in and say, ‘Sir, your loved one has about a one percent chance of survival,'” Trump said.Responding to Trump’s remarks, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Tehran is fully prepared for any conflict.“Our armed forces are ready to respond and teach a lesson to any aggression,” Ghalibaf wrote on Twitter. “A bad strategy and bad decisions always lead to bad results – the world already understands this.”Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran’s proposal calls for an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and a halt to military operations “in the entire region”, including Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon. The ministry also called for the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad for years under sanctions.Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said, “We did not demand any concessions. We only demanded Iran’s legitimate rights.”The standoff has raised concerns over the future of the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has tightened restrictions on maritime traffic and introduced a toll system for ships passing through. US officials have repeatedly warned that allowing Tehran to control the strategic waterway would be “unacceptable”.The crisis has also given rise to fears of wider humanitarian and economic consequences. Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said the current disruption is the “biggest” energy supply shock the world has ever seen.Meanwhile, the United Nations warned that prolonged disruption due to reduced fertilizer exports from Gulf ports could lead to serious food shortages globally. UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva said the world had only weeks left to avoid a “large-scale humanitarian crisis”.“We could be looking at a crisis that will leave more than 45 million people vulnerable to hunger and starvation,” he said.The conflict has also revived concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. The US and Israel have long accused Tehran of making nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the military operation will continue until Iran’s nuclear facilities are destroyed.