Tehran not afraid of war if ‘dignity’ threatened, Iran judiciary chief says

Iran called for the withdrawal of US forces from its surrounding region, the lifting of a naval blockade and sanctions relief as part of a detailed response to a US proposal, according to a report by IRGC affiliated Tasnim news agency.

In a post on X on Saturday, Tasnim said Iran’s 14-point plan also includes demands for guarantees against military aggression, the release of Iranian assets and compensation payments.

The report said Tehran rejected a US proposal for a two-month ceasefire, instead insisting that key issues be resolved within 30 days and that the focus shift from extending a truce to “ending the war.”

It added that Iran’s proposal calls for an end to hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon.

Iran has not altered its negotiating position on the Strait of Hormuz or its nuclear program in a recent proposal, according to the Institute for the Study of War, which said some officials in Tehran may be seeking to pressure Washington into concessions.

In an update on Saturday, the Washington-based think tank said elements within the Iranian system could believe Tehran can impose enough economic and political costs on the United States to shift its stance.

The report said Iran is taking steps to withstand a US naval blockade, including reportedly reducing oil production as storage capacity nears its limit, while avoiding a full shutdown that could damage oil fields.

The head of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, visited American service members aboard the USS Tripoli in the Arabian Sea on Saturday, the military said.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said Cooper met sailors and marines, recognized top performers and toured key areas of the amphibious assault ship, including its Combat Information Center.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Saturday the US president’s remarks describing naval seizures as “piracy” amounted to a “direct and damning admission” of unlawful conduct, urging the international community to reject violations of maritime law.

"The President of the United States has openly described the unlawful seizure of Iranian vessels as “piracy,” brazenly boasting that “we act like pirates.” This was no verbal slip," he posted on X.

"It was a direct and damning admission of the criminal nature of their actions against international maritime navigation. The international community, UN Member States, and the UN Secretary-General must firmly reject any normalization of such blatant violations of international law," Baghaei said.

Ali Nikzad, deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, told Lebanon's Al-Manar TV that the Islamic Republic’s condition in any negotiations with the United States is a guarantee that attacks on Lebanon will fully stop.

“The Iranian front and the southern Lebanon front are one, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was meant to allow the Lebanese to live in peace,” he said, referring to Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Lebanon.

Nikzad added: “Hezbollah is the soul of Iran, and Iran is the soul of Hezbollah.”