Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has blamed Washington for the breakdown of an interim deal meant to end the war with the United States and Israel, as fears grow that fighting could restart within days. In remarks broadcast by Iranian state media on Saturday, he nonetheless urged both sides to go back to the agreement and finish it.
The warnings follow US President Donald Trump’s Friday comments, in which he said he might carry out another limited operation under the codename used for the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, which began on February 28. Trump has also suggested he could take further military action. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he remains committed to overthrowing Iran’s government.
Tehran warns of a stronger response to any strike
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has cautioned that even limited strikes would bring a reply “several times greater”, according to a semi-official Iranian news agency, Fars. On Saturday, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ali Abdollahi said American forces would not be permitted in the Gulf at any time. He added that Trump could only dream of such a move, and that he would take that dream to his grave.
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Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Tehran would not wait for permission to defend itself. She said the country wants peace but will respond to any aggression with severe consequences. In a memo, she wrote: “Those who harbour the illusion of destroying Iran must correct their calculations.”
Elections in Israel and the United States loom
Both leaders face voters soon. Israelis are set to choose their next government on Tuesday. In the United States, Trump’s Republican Party faces midterm elections on November 3, when Democrats could win control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Such a result would be a major setback for Trump, who still has more than two years left in his final term in the White House.
Judiciary chief meets Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei
Iranian judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and the two discussed how to tackle corruption and pursue compensation for Iranians affected by the US-Israeli war, among other issues. Mojtaba Khamenei replaced his father after the elder Khamenei was assassinated during the opening strikes of the war. He has not been seen in public since taking up the position in early March.
Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was reported to have met Khamenei earlier this week.
