Iranian Official Warns Continued War Against US is Unavoidable
A senior Iranian military official has warned that the resumption of war against the United States (US) is unavoidable, as ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington appear to have reached an impasse. “The United States demands our total surrender, and the Iranian nation will never surrender,” stated Mohammed Jafar Assadi, deputy head of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central military command, in a statement reported by Al Arabiya on Tuesday.
“Without surrender, war cannot be avoided,” he asserted. The conflict involving Iran against the US and Israel, which has been ongoing since late February, has been on a temporary hiatus since a ceasefire was implemented in early April, which was subsequently extended indefinitely by President Donald Trump.
While the ceasefire has been marked by recent retaliatory attacks, negotiations continue under the mediation of Pakistan and Qatar. However, discussions remain difficult as both Iran and the US persist in their respective demands. Recent developments, according to reports from Western media outlets such as the New York Times and Axios, suggest that Trump has sent a revised version of the proposed peace framework, containing “tougher” terms, for Iran’s consideration.
The specific details regarding the changes Trump has made to the proposed draft agreement remain unclear. Nevertheless, any modification to the proposed draft could further delay an official agreement to end the war. Recent reports from the Iranian news agency, Mehr News Agency, citing sources close to the Iranian negotiating team, indicate that Tehran has yet to respond to the final deal proposal from Washington, and discussions regarding the final draft are ongoing in Tehran.
Sources cited by Mehr stated that Iran is reviewing the proposal with great caution due to what they perceive as a long-standing history of non-compliance and untrustworthiness by the US. “Based on previous experience, Iran seeks real and concrete benefits,” the source added.