Iran asserts Tehran is prepared to fight or negotiate

Istanbul (ANTARA) - The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament stated on Sunday that Tehran is “neither daunted nor intimidated” by the actions of the United States, asserting that Iran is prepared to engage in both combat and negotiations.

“We are present on the military battlefield with all our strength and will face them with new surprises. We use the instruments of diplomacy to assert our military superiority and to fight for the rights of the Iranian people,” said the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, during a parliamentary session, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency, Tasnim.

Ghalibaf noted that Washington has submitted several proposals through mediators after Tehran proposed a seven-day roadmap to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

He reaffirmed Iran’s stance that the strait will not be reopened until seven of Tehran’s conditions, based on the Islamabad Memorandum, are met, referring to the framework agreement reached in June.

Last month, Iran submitted a series of official requirements to the United States via Qatari mediators to end the war that commenced on 28 February.

Tehran’s requirements include a comprehensive cessation of hostilities on all fronts, the unfreezing of Iranian funds, and an end to the naval blockade against Iranian ports.

The US and Israel launched unilateral attacks on Iran on 28 February. Tehran responded to this military aggression with missile and drone attacks across various regions in the Middle East, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for energy supplies.

Efforts to end the war have continued since the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June, which outlines immediate steps to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and address Iran’s nuclear programme.