Will give crushing response if US foolishly restarts war, Iran tells Pak's Munir

During a meeting in Tehran with Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran would not compromise on sovereignty and warned any renewed US military action would invite a "more crushing and bitter" response.

In Short

• Iran Parliament Speaker says Tehran won't compromise on its sovereignty if US resumes strikes
• Remarks come as Trump plans fresh strikes on Iran amid no breakthrough in talks
• Pak, acting as mediator, is racing against time to chalk out peace deal

Iran on Saturday warned it would deliver a “more crushing and bitter” response if the US resumes military action, even as Pakistan, acting as a mediator to end the war, stepped up diplomatic efforts to prevent a fresh escalation in the Middle East.

During talks in Tehran with Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, Iran’s Parliament Speaker and senior negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran would not compromise on the rights of its people and national sovereignty, according to Iranian state TV.

Ghalibaf said Iran’s armed forces had rebuilt their capabilities during the ceasefire period and warned that if the US “foolishly restarts the war”, the consequences would be “more crushing and bitter”.

The central disputes remain Iran’s nuclear programme and the future of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime corridor through which roughly one-fifth of global energy supplies pass under normal conditions. Shipping through the waterway has remained disrupted since joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered retaliatory attacks, despite a ceasefire that came into effect on April 8.

US 'SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING' FRESH IRAN STRIKES

Meanwhile, pressure appears to be mounting in Washington. According to an Axios report, US President Donald Trump met his senior national security team on Friday to discuss the Iran conflict and is “seriously considering” fresh military strikes if last-minute diplomacy fails.

Speaking at a White House event, Trump said Iran was eager for an agreement but reiterated that Tehran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. “Iran is dying to make a deal. We'll see what happens. But we hit them hard, and we had no choice because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

Axios, citing people familiar with the discussions, reported that Trump had grown increasingly frustrated over the lack of progress in negotiations and had even discussed the possibility of a final large-scale military operation followed by a declaration of victory.

Trump’s frustration over the stalled talks came as Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday in what Pakistan described as part of ongoing mediation efforts to secure a peace deal between Washington and Tehran. He was received by Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.

Pakistan’s military said the visit was aimed at ending the conflict and creating conditions for lasting peace in the region. Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, considered close to Munir, was already in Tehran and holding talks with senior Iranian officials.

As part of the outreach, Munir also met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to the Iranian government, the discussions focused on diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation and promote peace, stability and security across West Asia. Iran’s state news agency reported that the talks continued late into the night.

Munir is also expected to hold further meetings with senior Iranian security officials during the visit. This marks his second trip to Iran in just over a month, underscoring Pakistan’s increasingly visible role as an intermediary.

Analysts say Islamabad remains one of the few capitals maintaining active channels with both Tehran and Washington and has attempted to bridge differences between the two sides.

Pakistan had hosted senior US and Iranian representatives last month for rare peace talks – the first such engagement since 1979 – but negotiations failed to produce a breakthrough.

Even as diplomacy continues, neither side has shown signs of shifting on the core issues. Tehran has maintained that it will not negotiate under military pressure, while Washington continues to insist that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains non-negotiable.

- Ends
(with inputs from agencies)