Iran diplomats, UN and media toured Tehran strike sites to assess US-Israeli damage amid rising tensions. Image credit: Getty images
(The Post News) -Iran says it has prepared “new cards on the battlefield” after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz until Iran agrees to a peace deal.
Iran rejects threats
Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and a top negotiator, said Trump is trying to justify more fighting by putting pressure on Iran and breaking the ceasefire. He said Iran will not accept talks under threats and added that the country has prepared new moves on the battlefield over the past two weeks, warning that any action would be met with a response.
Deadline warning
Trump has warned that the U.S. could start bombing again if no deal is reached by Wednesday’s deadline, raising fears that the conflict could quickly grow worse.
Strait tensions
The U.S. and Iran are also in a serious standoff over ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has said the blockade of Iranian ports will continue, while Iran says it is in control of the key waterway. About 20% of the world’s oil and gas passes through this route in normal times.
Tensions increased further after Iran’s foreign ministry accused the U.S. of attacking an Iranian commercial ship and called for the crew to be released.
Over the weekend, the U.S. Navy fired at and seized an Iran-flagged cargo ship that tried to get past the blockade. This was the first major clash since the blockade began. In response, Iran fired at two ships trying to pass through the waterway, increasing fears of direct conflict as the deadline gets closer.
J.D. Vance, together with officials from the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Pentagon, is said to be included in the U.S. delegation traveling to Pakistan for talks on Tuesday, according to several news reports.
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