Pezeshkian Accuses US of Breaking Interim Truce
Tehran claims Washington undermined the pact, while military leaders vow to bar US ships from the Gulf.
By Wei Zhang ·
The interim agreement designed to end the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel has unraveled. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian placed the blame squarely on Washington. He told Iranian Press TV on Saturday that both nations should return to the negotiating table to finish the deal.
Tensions are rising as the possibility of renewed combat grows. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he might launch another offensive. He used the codename Epic Fury, which refers to the conflict that began on February 28. Trump suggested military action could resume as soon as this weekend.
Iranian military leaders have issued sharp warnings in response. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that even small strikes would provoke a reaction several times greater. Ali Abdollahi, the Chief of Staff for the Iranian Armed Forces, said on Saturday that US forces would not enter the Gulf under any circumstances. He told reporters that Trump could only dream of such an entry and would take that dream to his grave.
Political deadlines in both countries add pressure to the situation. Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday to select their next government. In the United States, Republicans face midterm elections on November 3. Democrats could win control of both the House and the Senate, a result that would challenge Trump’s final two years in office.
Fatemeh Mohajerani, the Iranian government spokesperson, said Tehran will not wait for permission to defend itself. She wrote in a memo that the country seeks peace but will respond to aggression with severe consequences. Mohajerani added that those hoping to destroy Iran must correct their calculations.
Inside Tehran, senior officials are coordinating on the war’s aftermath. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei met with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday. The two discussed corruption and compensation for citizens affected by the war. Khamenei has not appeared in public since taking office in early March, following the assassination of his father during the initial strikes. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also met with Khamenei earlier this week.
Source: Al Jazeera
