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The Iranian government has reported fresh United States military strikes but insists the pressure will not alter its demands to end the conflict. Ahmad Nafisi, deputy governor for Hormozgan, confirmed that the southern island of Qeshm was targeted in overnight strikes, though no residential areas, commercial zones, or vital infrastructure suffered damage.
US Position and Iranian Demands
While the US did not directly acknowledge the air strikes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington’s characterization of recent strikes on Qeshm as defensive. Previous attacks have targeted Iranian air defenses and radar installations.
Mediators are attempting to prevent large-scale US attacks on Iran as talks continue. However, Washington appears reluctant to accept Iran’s seven demands to end the war, which include lifting the US blockade on southern Iranian ports and removing sanctions on Tehran.
Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, rejected Rubio’s remarks labeling some of these demands as unrealistic. Baghaei stated during a news conference in Tehran that the Iranian plan remains the most logical proposal to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.
The terms largely mirror the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June between Iran and the US, alongside new stipulations regarding the future of the Strait of Hormuz. Baghaei also claimed that a recent US reward offer of up to $20m for information on Iran’s nuclear program is an attempt to portray Tehran’s nuclear issue as a threat following midterm election defeats for the Republican Party.
Tehran maintains it will not part with its highly enriched uranium, though it remains open to downblending the material. International inspectors currently lack access to Iranian nuclear sites, apart from the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which the Foreign Ministry noted was visited recently. Iran has criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency and Director Rafael Grossi for exceeding their technical mandate.
Mediation and Regional Security
Mediation efforts have shown potential signs of a breakthrough, with reports of an upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at the White House.
Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera that Washington objects to Iran demanding agreement rewards before offering concessions. Krieg noted that regional neighbors and the US would reject long-term shipping corridors approved by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, while Rubio and other officials oppose an end to regional hostilities that would restrict Israeli military operations.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that military operations in Iran remain unfinished and threatened Lebanon’s Hezbollah with further territorial losses if it joins an Iranian attack.
Maritime Impact and Escalation Risks
Iranian authorities continue warning vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to avoid unauthorized routes to prevent potential attacks. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman Hossein Mohebbi disputed US assertions that all naval mines have been cleared from the waterway.
Iranian state television reported that 11 tankers have been attacked over a ten-day period, leaving four unable to proceed. IRGC-affiliated media reported that maritime navigation systems in the southern waterway were targeted overnight, disrupting tankers involved in the US-coordinated oil shuttle system.
Trump downplayed the likelihood of a full-scale war on Sunday while noting that the US military has identified 38 civilian infrastructure targets, such as bridges, should the conflict escalate.
Krieg anticipates that Tehran will maintain a strategy of controlled escalation rather than immediate retaliation. He explained that increased disruptions to overland trade by the US will prompt Tehran to shift economic consequences onto Gulf states in hopes of pressuring Trump toward a compromise.
