Iran could enrich its uranium to weapons-grade level if the war resumes, a senior Iranian MP has warned.
Ebrahim Rezaei said on Tuesday that Tehran could increase its uranium enrichment to 90 per cent, a level considered high enough to use in a weapon, if it is attacked by the US again, as a fragile ceasefire between the countries teeters on the brink of collapse.
“We will review it in the parliament,” Mr Rezaei said in a post on X.
His comments come as the US and Iran trade threats amid a ceasefire that President Donald Trump has described as being on “massive life support”.
Mr Trump said on Monday that Iran’s response to the latest US proposal for a deal to end the war was “unacceptable” and “stupid”. He compared the current ceasefire brokered by Pakistan to a medical patient with a one per cent chance of survival.
“I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support,” Mr Trump told journalists in the Oval Office during a healthcare event.
“They think that, well, I’ll get tired of this, or I’ll get bored, or I’ll have some pressure. But there’s no pressure, there’s no pressure at all. We’re going to have a complete victory. We’ve already, in theory, had a complete victory.”
Meanwhile, Iran has warned that it was ready to respond militarily to any American attacks and hinted at unexpected capabilities. In a post on X, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf indicated the country was prepared for retaliation and suggested it was still capable of escalating the conflict.
“Our armed forces are ready to deliver a well-deserved response to any aggression,” Mr Ghalibaf wrote on Monday. “We are prepared for all options. They will be surprised.”
Mr Ghalibaf doubled down on Tuesday, saying there was “no alternative” to accepting Iran’s 14-point proposal. He warned that American taxpayers would “pay for it” the longer Washington delayed.
Return to war
A deal between the US and Iran in the short term is looking increasingly unlikely.
Mr Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with the way Iran is handling negotiations to end the war, and some aides say he is now more seriously considering a resumption of major combat operations than at any point in recent weeks, CNN reported.
Retired US Army general HR McMaster, who served as national security adviser during Mr Trump's first term, also said he expects renewed American attacks on Iran, suggesting escalation is more likely than a durable diplomatic settlement.
Speaking on CNN, Mr McMaster was asked whether he expects full-scale military action to resume. He replied: “Yes, I do. This shouldn't be a surprise to anybody … the Iranian regime remains intransigent. Look at how many off-ramps they drove past.
“I think the chances are quite high there will be a continuation of this campaign [and] there will probably be an effort to forcibly open the Strait of Hormuz, which is within our capabilities.”
The continuing war with Iran is expected to overshadow Mr Trump's trip to China this week – the first by a sitting US president in nearly a decade.
Mr Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip had originally been planned for March, but Mr Trump postponed it, saying it would not be right to leave during the war with Iran.
On Monday, Mr Trump said he expects discussions to focus on Taiwan, energy and Iran.
“I look forward to being there,” he said. “He [Mr Xi] will bring up Taiwan, I think more than I will. But I think the discussion will be a little bit about energy, and about the very beautiful country of Iran.” He added that he has a “great relationship” with Mr Xi.
Experts say Mr Trump is expected to press China to reduce its purchases of Iranian oil as part of the US's effort to increase economic pressure on Tehran.
