A senior Iranian military official declared Tuesday that a resumption of war with the United States is "inevitable," as negotiations between Tehran and Washington over a lasting end to hostilities in the Middle East appear to be stalling.
The statement marks a significant escalation in tone at a critical moment in diplomacy © Mena Today
A senior Iranian military official declared Tuesday that a resumption of war with the United States is "inevitable," as negotiations between Tehran and Washington over a lasting end to hostilities in the Middle East appear to be stalling.
"The United States demands our total capitulation, and the Iranian nation will never capitulate," said Mohammad Jafar Assadi, a deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya joint command.
"Without capitulation, war is inevitable. So we are waiting, and war does not frighten us," he added, according to remarks carried by Iranian state television IRIB.
The statement marks a significant escalation in tone at a critical moment in diplomacy. While negotiators from both sides have been engaged in discussions aimed at ending the conflict that erupted on February 28, the gap between Washington's demands, including the dismantlement of Iran's nuclear programme and the permanent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — and Tehran's red lines remains wide.
Assadi's remarks suggest that hardliners within Iran's military establishment are pushing back against any deal they perceive as surrender, and are willing to say so publicly, even as diplomats attempt to find common ground.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun chaired a high-level meeting Tuesday with Army Commander General Rudolf Hage and members of the advisory team accompanying Lebanon's delegation to the Washington negotiations, as the fifth round of Lebanese-American-Israeli talks enters what he described as a potentially decisive phase.
Oman and Iran agreed on Tuesday to press on with discussions about the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, including maritime services in the strategic waterway and the costs associated with them.
Lebanon and Israel began a new round of talks on Tuesday in Washington, with Beirut determined to press ahead with direct negotiations even as they appear to be overshadowed by Iran's decision to make Lebanon part of its talks with the U.S.
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