Iran has warned it will open “new fronts” if the US launches more attacks on the country, after President Donald Trump said he had called off renewed strikes to allow for “serious negotiations” to take place.
Despite escalating threats and rising fears of a resumption of war, the US and Iran are still engaged in backdoor diplomacy mediated by Pakistan, aimed at ending the regional conflict.
“If the enemy is foolish and falls into the Zionists’ trap again and commits another aggression against our beloved Iran, we will open new fronts against them with new tools and methods,” said Iranian army spokesman Brig Gen Mohammad Akraminia in remarks carried by state media.
He said Iran was “not besieged and cannot be defeated”, adding that Iran’s armed forces have control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran's threats come after Mr Trump said the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE had persuaded him to call off renewed attacks against Iran, which he had planned for Tuesday, to give the talks a chance.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said “serious negotiations are now taking place”, adding that in the Gulf states’ opinion, “a deal will be made”.
He said the deal “will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all countries in the Middle East and beyond”, and would include no nuclear weapons.
The US President also threatened to launch a “full, large-scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable deal is not reached”.
Maj Gen Ali Abdollahi, the head of Iran’s armed forces, warned the US against any new military action, saying it was fully prepared to respond to any attack.
“We announce to America and its allies: do not commit another strategic mistake or miscalculation,” he said. “They must know that any renewed aggression or invasion by the enemies of our land and our proud nation will be met with a swift, decisive, powerful and extensive response.”
A fragile truce between Iran and the US is on the brink of collapse amid last-ditch efforts to reach an agreement.
Iran submitted a new 14-point proposal to end the war with the US on Monday, after an earlier draft was rejected by the US and dismissed as “garbage” by Mr Trump.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said “dialogue does not mean surrender” and added that Tehran “will under no circumstances retreat from the lawful rights of the country and its people”.
The country's latest proposal for an agreement with the US calls for the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian funds and an end to the maritime blockade imposed by the US, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, as reported by Iran's official Irna news agency.
The proposal includes ending the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, the departure of US forces from areas close to Iran and financial compensation to cover destruction caused by the war, Mr Gharibabadi said.
The US President is expected to convene his national security team in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday, as tension with Iran escalates and Washington considers its diplomatic and military options, Axios reported.
Citing two US officials, it said the meeting would focus on the next steps in negotiations but also on military planning.
