Iran MP calls draft agreement with US a 'pure loss'

Mohammad Nabi Mousavifard, the Friday prayer leader in Ahvaz, said any retreat in the face of what he called the "US and Israeli front" is "forbidden and unacceptable."

Speaking during Friday prayers, Mousavifard said the country's security is not limited to military capabilities but stems from a combination of military strength, soft power, media savvy and economic resilience.

The "enemy", he added, is seeking to weaken society's resilience through rumor-mongering and efforts to deepen divisions.

Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini Hamedani, the Friday prayer leader in Karaj, said any country that places its territory or facilities at the disposal of what he called the Islamic Republic's "enemies" should understand that its infrastructure and interests would become legitimate targets for Iran's armed forces.

"Iranian nation" would never extend friendship or allegiance to the "killers of its commanders and martyrs," he added.

"Negotiations conducted under threat amount to accepting fear and retreating before the enemy and would bring no benefit to the country," said the cleric.

Iran's state news agency IRNA reported that the current draft agreement with the United States is defined by seven broad principles and that Iran's missile capabilities would not be part of the agenda during proposed negotiations.

According to IRNA, only three issues would be addressed during the 60-day talks following the signing of the memorandum: the continuation of Iran's nuclear program, the lifting of US sanctions and a mechanism for compensation.

IRNA also reported that no agreement on the nuclear file has been reached within the current memorandum.

Alireza Arafi, the Friday prayer leader in Qom, said expanding the scope of confrontation and targeting US interests in different locations forms part of the Islamic Republic's new strategy, threatening that additional capabilities would be activated if what he called "hostile behavior" continues.

Arafi said on Friday that the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab, the Red Sea and any location where US interests are present should be considered part of the arena of confrontation.

The Islamic Republic, he said, had, for the first time in contemporary history, confronted what he described as "the world's most powerful military force" and had not only endured the encounter but also broken the fear surrounding such a confrontation.

Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, cited informed sources as saying Washington told Tehran through Qatari mediators that it no longer required changes sought by the United States to a proposed text.

According to the report, efforts by US President Donald Trump to alter the Islamic Republic's position through military pressure, diplomatic threats and Qatari mediation failed, with Tehran rejecting the latest proposed changes.

Tasnim also quoted the sources as saying the 14-point text remains under review by relevant institutions in the Islamic Republic and that speculation over the outcome of the negotiations is not "credible" until that process is complete.