Iranian daily says US-Iran deal would only delay ‘final battle’

Iranian daily Khorasan said a possible agreement between Tehran and Washington would only delay what it described as a final confrontation between Iran and the United States, rather than resolve the underlying conflict.

In a commentary, the newspaper said any deal at this stage should be seen as an agreement to end the current war, not a settlement of the core disputes between Tehran and Washington.

“The issues between Iran and America, and especially Iran and Israel, have reached the level of an existential battle that will in practice end only with the decisive victory of one side,” Khorasan wrote.

The paper argued that negotiations and agreements would have little effect on that trajectory, describing them as a temporary phase before what it called the “final battle.”

It said the main function of a deal would not be recognition of Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, the release of blocked Iranian assets or any other real gain written into the text, but rather “postponing the final battle” and giving both sides time to rebuild.

“The main function of this agreement is a breathing space and a chance to rebuild offensive and defensive combat power and prepare for a full-scale and major battle,” the paper wrote.

Khorasan’s commentary adds to hardline criticism inside Iran of a possible memorandum of understanding with the United States, even as Iranian officials say the text is in final review and could be signed remotely if talks are completed.