Iran-US battle newest: Tehran warns it has ‘new cards to play’ on battlefield as Trump refuses to finish Hormuz blockade
Iran has warned it has prepared “new cards on the battlefield” Donald Trump has said the US will continue its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz until Iran agrees to a peace deal.
Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, a negotiator for Tehran, said Trump wants to “justify renewed warmongering” by “imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire”.
“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield,” he added in a post on X.
The US president said the current ceasefire will end on Wednesday evening local time, and that it’s “highly unlikely that I’d extend it” if Washington and Tehran can’t reach an agreement to end the war by then, in a phone interview with Bloomberg.
Trump was resolute that the US military blockade of Iranian vessels would stay in place “until there is a ‘DEAL’”, as Iranian officials said they would not respond to coercion.
The US and Iran have yet to commit to a second round of direct talks in Islamabad. JD Vance was expected to head to Pakistan on Tuesday, after conflicting reports said he’d fly Monday.
Iran says it has ‘prepared new cards’ on the battlefield
Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament and one of its key negotiators, has warned that Tehran has prepared “news cards to play on the battlefield”.
In a post on X last night, he wrote: “Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table— in his own imagination— into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering.
“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”
China’s Xi says Hormuz should remain open, in call with Saudi leader
Xi Jinping has urged that the Strait of Hormuz stay open during a call with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman.
During the call, Xi said: “The Strait of Hormuz should remain open to normal passage, as this serves the common interests of regional countries and the international community.”
China advocates an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, and insists on resolving conflicts in the Middle East through political and diplomatic channels, state news agency Xinhua cited Xi as saying.
His remarks come as tensions rise between the United States and Iran, with the ceasefire under strain after the US seized an Iranian ship and Iran signalled it may skip new talks.
On Tuesday, JD Vance is expected to lead the US delegation to Pakistan for a fresh round of talks as Iran is reportedly reconsidering its involvement in talks.
Iran is stalling due to pressure from Revolutionary Guards – report
With the White House awaiting confirmation that Iran will attend peace talks in Islamabad, there are reports that officials in Tehran are facing pressure from the Revolutionary Guards to stick to a hard line.
Sources told Axios the powerful Iranian paramilitary wants there to be no new negotiations until the US ends its naval blockade.
In the end the decision is up to the supreme leader, while mediators from Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey have pushed Tehran to come to the table.
Trump warns Iran will face ‘problems like they’ve never seen before’ if it doesn’t negotiate
Donald Trump has warned Iran of “problems like they’ve never seen before” if it does not agree to a deal.
In an interview on The John Fredericks Show – a conservative radio show, Trump said: “They’re [Iran] going to negotiate. And if they don’t, they’re going to see problems like they’ve never seen before.
“And they’re going to negotiate, and hopefully they’ll make a fair deal, and they’ll build their country back up.”
Earlier, Trump said that it was “highly unlikely” he would extend the ceasefire if Tehran didn’t agree to talk.
Reports indicate Iran is reconsidering its involvement in a second round of talks in Pakistan.
JD Vance is expected to lead the US delegation to Pakistan on Tuesday if the talks look like they are going ahead.
White House bashes US media, claims outlets are ‘rooting for the Iranian regime’
Iran demands US free crew of its seized cargo ship
Iran has condemned the US seizure of its cargo ship Touska and is demanding the crew be freed.
Iran’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns” what it described as “the illegal and brutal action” by US forces, and called for the “immediate release” of those onboard.
In a statement, the ministry said: “Without a doubt, the Islamic Republic of Iran will use all its capabilities to defend Iran’s national interests and security and to protect the rights and dignity of Iranians. It is obvious that the full responsibility for the further complication of the situation in the region lies with the US.”
The US, through US Central Command, says the ship was seized after it “attempted to violate the US naval blockade”.
Centcom shares images of seized Iranian-flagged cargo ship
US Central Command has shared images on social media showing what it says is an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, Touska, seized on Sunday after it “attempted to violate the US naval blockade”.
One photo shows thick black smoke rising from a container vessel, while another appears to show the same ship alongside a US military vessel.
Donald Trump said over the weekend that US marines intercepted the ship and took “full custody” of it in the Gulf of Oman after “blowing a hole in the engineroom”.
The US says it has already turned back 27 ships since the blockade began, as part of efforts to pressure Iran economically by restricting oil exports.
In response, Iran has warned it will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until the blockade is lifted.
Trump says US strikes last year caused ‘total obliteration’ of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure
Donald Trump said that “Operation Midnight Hammer” – last year’s US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities – resulted in a “complete and total obliteration” of the country’s uranium enrichment sites.
Writing on Truth Social, he added that “digging it out will be a long and difficult process” after the June airstrikes, and criticised CNN and what he called “other corrupt Media Networks and Platforms” for not giving “our great aviators the credit they deserve”.
Iran reconsidering joining another round of peace talks with the US – report
Iran is reconsidering joining another round of peace talks with the US, with a senior official saying Tehran is “positively reviewing its participation in peace talks”, though no final decision has been made, Reuters reported.
The shift comes after Pakistan’s mediation efforts were described as “positive”, especially in addressing the US naval blockade, which Iran sees as a major obstacle.
Iran had turned down a US proposal for a second round of direct peace talks ahead of the ceasefire deadline on Wednesday.
Its foreign ministry said it had “no plan for the next round of negotiations”, while also accusing the US of being “not serious” about pursuing diplomacy.
JD Vance to lead US delegation to Pakistan for talks – but only if Tehran agrees to attend
JD Vance is expected to lead a US delegation to Islamabad for possible peace talks with Iran, but only if Tehran agrees to attend.
The talks come just as a fragile ceasefire – following weeks of US-Israel bombing – nears its deadline, with Donald Trump warning he is unlikely to extend it further.
It was unclear if Iran would attend the talks after its president warned that there remained a “deep historical mistrust” of the US. Masoud Pezeshkian said: “Iranians do not submit to force.”
Previous negotiations failed because Iran refused US demands to stop nuclear enrichment and give up its stockpile of enriched uranium, while Iran insists it won’t negotiate under pressure or threats.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high on the ground: the US has blockaded Iranian ports, Iran has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, shipping has slowed, and oil prices have risen.
Source: independent.co.uk
