Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated overnight following American military strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, as senior Iranian officials warned of a devastating response while President Donald Trump insisted that a diplomatic agreement remains possible.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday morning that Washington and Tehran remain far from reaching an agreement to end the conflict, describing American demands as “excessive” and unacceptable.
The official said mediators are working to narrow the differences but warned that Iran’s conditions must be met before the Strait of Hormuz can reopen. Nuclear negotiations, he said, could begin afterward.
“Iran is prepared to respond forcefully to American attacks, both within the region and beyond,” the official warned.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued an even stronger warning, declaring that Iran is fully prepared for war and has its “finger on the trigger.”
“If America makes another strategic mistake, it must know that this time it will face a new battlefield,” Ghalibaf threatened, adding that Iran’s response would be unpredictable and unrestricted by geographical boundaries.
Iranian military spokesman Mohammad Akraminia also warned that any renewed American attack would trigger a more severe and widespread response, threatening U.S. military installations, personnel, equipment, and interests wherever they are within Iran’s reach.
Despite the threats, a Western diplomatic source in Beirut told the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan that U.S.-Iran negotiations, mediated by Qatar, are progressing and that Iranian representatives have demonstrated unusual flexibility.
The source said the Iranian delegation’s departure from Doha does not necessarily signal the collapse of negotiations.
Meanwhile, White House officials confirmed that American forces carried out what they described as “defensive strikes” overnight on Qeshm Island in southern Iran.(Read More)
