Iran rejects temporary ceasefire, seeks broader end to conflict

A senior Iranian cleric said no one would dare attack Iran, while warning that any strike would fail and urging caution toward the United States.

“ No one will dare attack Iran anymore,” Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s interim Friday prayer leader, said.

“ They may attack, but it will not lead anywhere and this revolution will endure,” he added.

Khatami also urged distrust of the United States during the ceasefire period.

“ We must even be pessimistic about the enemy’s smiles, especially our enemy named Trump, who is a symbol of lies,” he said.

He stressed the importance of public support and unity during the truce, saying people should remain present and trust in leadership.

“ People will not accept negotiations with humiliation,” he added.

Indian refiners are paying for shipments of Iranian oil in Chinese yuan through ICICI Bank, four sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, under a temporary US sanctions waiver.

The payments are being routed via ICICI’s Shanghai branch to accounts denominated in yuan, the sources said.

State-run Indian Oil Corp and privately owned Reliance Industries have purchased Iranian crude under the waiver, which Washington introduced last month to help ease global oil prices.

One cargo bought by Indian Oil earlier this month totaled about 2 million barrels, worth roughly $200 million, according to sources.

The arrangement highlights efforts to work around longstanding restrictions on Iran, with Indian refiners also using yuan in some purchases of Russian oil.

The US waiver allowing such transactions is due to expire soon and is not expected to be renewed, officials have said.

At least two young men have been killed by Basij and Revolutionary Guards forces at checkpoints in Iran in recent weeks, according to information received by Iran International.

One of them, identified as Morteza Madadi from Shahin Shahr in Isfahan province, was shot dead on March 8 by forces at a Basij checkpoint, sources said. He died after being hit in the chest.

Sources said his family has faced pressure and threats after seeking to pursue the case.

In a separate incident, a young man in Ramsar in northern Mazandaran province died after being stopped at a checkpoint and protesting during an inspection, according to local accounts.

He was attacked with a stun device by Basij forces and died at the scene, from cardiac arrest, the sources said, adding that his family has also been pressured not to publicize the case.

The incidents come as checkpoint controls have increased across the country, with citizens reporting vehicle stops, searches and phone inspections, according to messages sent to Iran International.

About 50 aircraft were damaged in US and Israeli strikes, with 10 destroyed by direct missile hits, a senior Iranian lawmaker said.

Mohammad Reza Rezaei Kouchi, head of parliament’s construction committee, said some of the damaged planes could return to service.

He added that domestic and international flights could resume if a deal is reached or the ceasefire is extended.

“There is no serious infrastructure problem,” he said.

An Iranian lawmaker said any future agreement with the United States could pave the way for normalizing relations, while warning Tehran could increase pressure if sanctions are not lifted.

Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of parliament’s national security committee, said “any deal with the US could be a prelude to normalizing relations.”

“Many countries have fought with the US and later established relations,” he said, citing examples including Vietnam.

He added that US President Donald Trump is seeking a political win from any agreement.

“Trump has sent a message that he needs to achieve a victory in this deal so that his standing is not weakened,” he said, adding this could give Iran leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.

He said Iran would maintain its right to uranium enrichment and expects sanctions relief that would allow it to sell oil more freely.

“If sanctions are not lifted, we will resume pressure in the Strait of Hormuz and create leverage,” he said.