Iran blames US for deal collapse as war resumes risk looms

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian placed the blame for the failed interim peace deal on the United States.

Speaking in an interview broadcast by Press TV on Saturday, Pezeshkian argued that Washington caused the unraveling of the agreement designed to end the war with the US and Israel. He stated that both nations should return to the table to finish the process.

The diplomatic friction comes as military tensions rise. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he might launch another operation called Epic Fury. That is the codename for the conflict that began on February 28. Fears are growing that new combat operations could start this weekend.

Iranian military officials issued strong warnings in response to the threat of renewed strikes. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps told Fars News Agency that even limited attacks would trigger a reaction several times larger. Ali Abdollahi, the chief of staff for the Iranian Armed Forces, said on Saturday that US forces would not be allowed into the Gulf. He told Trump that he could only dream of such an event and would take that dream to his grave.

Political pressure is mounting in both countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he remains committed to changing Iran’s government. Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday to choose their next government. Trump faces midterm elections on November 3. Democrats could gain control of both the House and the Senate. That outcome would weaken Trump’s position with more than two years left in his term.

Fatemeh Mohajerani, the Iranian government spokesperson, issued a memo on Saturday. She said Tehran does not need permission to defend itself. Mohajerani wrote that Iran seeks peace but will respond to aggression with severe consequences. She added that those who think they can destroy Iran must correct their calculations.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei met with judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei on Saturday. The two discussed corruption and compensation for war-affected citizens. Khamenei has not appeared in public since taking office in early March after his father was killed in the initial strikes. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also met with Khamenei earlier in the week.