Iran may attack if US naval blockade lasts too long, Khamenei adviser warns

Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran gains concessions through military pressure rather than dialogue, casting negotiations with Washington as a way to make the United States accept realities created on the battlefield.

“We take concessions not through talks, but with missiles; in negotiations, we only make them understand this,” Ghalibaf said on X.

Ghalibaf, who is also parliament speaker, said Tehran would not rely on guarantees or verbal commitments in any possible agreement with Washington.

“We have no trust in guarantees or words; only actions are the measure,” he said. “No action will be taken before the other side acts.”

He also linked any agreement to future military readiness, saying the side that prepares better after a deal would ultimately benefit most.

“The winner of any agreement is the one who prepares better for war from the day after,” Ghalibaf said.

Mohammad-Mahdi Hosseini Hamedani, the Friday prayer leader of Karaj, said the Islamic Republic should not negotiate over its nuclear program, arguing that the issue was not included in the 10 conditions approved by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

“In diplomacy, the same 10 conditions approved by Mojtaba Khamenei must be the basis,” Hosseini Hamedani said. “There is no reference to the nuclear issue in these conditions, therefore there should be no discussion about nuclear matters.”

He also defended Iran’s missile program, saying missiles were not only a defensive tool but also a foundation for security, reconstruction and development.

Hosseini Hamedani said parliament’s decisions should raise the cost of war for Iran’s enemies.

“The Strait of Hormuz is our instrument of power and should not be easily given up,” he said.

Israel’s military chief said every strike against Hezbollah was also a blow to the Islamic Republic’s regional axis and Tehran’s investment in the region.

According to a statement from the Israeli military, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir made the remarks during a visit to Israeli army positions in the Shebaa Farms, inside Lebanon.

Zamir said the Israeli military remained at a high level of readiness for any possible development, including against the Islamic Republic.

He said no location would become a stronghold or safe zone for Hezbollah.

He added that Israeli forces would continue advancing into new areas if operational needs required it.

Zamir said the aim of Israel’s operations was to intensify pressure on Hezbollah, push threats farther away and strengthen the defense of communities in northern Israel.

He said more than 7,500 Hezbollah members had been killed since the start of the war, including 2,500 since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion.

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth warned the Islamic Republic that it would face American forces if it did not accept the deal on the table.

Speaking Friday during a visit to US troops aboard the USS Boxer in Singapore, Hegseth referred to President Donald Trump’s remarks at a Cabinet meeting, where Trump said Tehran must either accept the proposed agreement or face military action.

The USS Boxer is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, a type of vessel designed to carry Marines, aircraft, vehicles and landing craft for ship-to-shore operations.

Ships in this class can support helicopter and landing craft movements, including the use of LCAC hovercraft, making them relevant to any contingency involving coastal or island operations, though Hegseth did not specify any operational plan.

IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency cited an informed source as saying the text of a possible memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington has not yet been finalized.

The source said the text would be announced officially if it is completed.

Responding to reports in Western media about parts of the possible agreement, the source said the versions published so far were “lacking accuracy.”

The source also said the text of the possible memorandum between the United States and the Islamic Republic had changed several times in recent days.