Iran refuses to negotiate under threats, emphasizes combat readiness status

According to CCTV News, on the 21st, Iranian Parliament Speaker Kalibaf said that Iran does not accept negotiations under threats, criticizing the United States for trying to pressure Iran into making concessions through blockades and violations of the ceasefire agreement. He emphasized that Iran has made preparations to respond to developments on the battlefield. Iran’s chief judicial official said that the United States’ implementation of a “maritime blockade” violates the ceasefire agreement, or may amount to war crimes. Public opinion believes that the United States may use negotiations as a pretext to probe Iran’s bottom line and could potentially restart military action. Iranian media noted that the core issue between the two countries is a lack of trust: Iran hopes to achieve lasting peace, but it has deep distrust of the United States’ threatening actions.