Iran Supreme Leader remains in charge of war, his envoy says

A senior Iranian cleric said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump’s calls for talks with Tehran were aimed at forcing Iran to surrender.

“He constantly speaks of negotiations with Iran, but the truth is that what they mean is not negotiation, but surrender,” Ahmad Khatami said during Eid al-Adha prayers in Tehran.

He also said the US wanted humiliation for Iran but would “take that wish to the grave.”

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Wednesday that he had spoken with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who briefed him on Tehran’s view of talks between Iran and the United States.

Peters said he told Araghchi that New Zealand wanted an urgent end to the conflict and welcomed reports of serious talks between Tehran and Washington.

He said any lasting peace required a negotiated solution, compliance with international law and unimpeded freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

A member of Iran parliament’s national security committee said on Wednesday that Tehran should make maximum use of the Strait of Hormuz because the world depends on the strategic waterway.

“The Strait of Hormuz is an important economic strait that the world needs, and today this strait is in the hands of the Islamic Republic,” Amir Hayat-Moghadam said.

The former IRGC commander added that Hormuz had become an important achievement for Iran and called for changing the legal regime governing the strait.

“The Strait of Hormuz is now considered an important achievement for us, and we must make maximum use of this geopolitical position,” he said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that he had spoken by phone with the leaders of Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Turkey, Tajikistan, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan to mark Eid al-Adha.

Pezeshkian said he hoped Muslims would grow closer and that cooperation would expand in all areas.

He also called for what he described as “comprehensive support for one another in the face of threats.”

Ten Indian sailors detained in Iran after their oil tanker was intercepted near Jask Port in July 2025 have been released, India’s shipping authorities said.

India's Directorate General of Shipping said the sailors, who were aboard the MV Harbour Phoenix, had been imprisoned in Iran after the vessel’s interception.

"The Directorate General of Shipping reiterates its unwavering commitment towards the welfare, safety, and protection of Indian seafarers worldwide. Necessary arrangements are being coordinated for the earliest return of the crew members to India," it added.