Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday blamed the United States for the unravelling of an interim deal aimed at ending the war with the US and Israel. In comments broadcast on state television, he also said both sides should return to the agreement and "conclude it".
His remarks come amid growing fears that fighting could resume soon, after US President Donald Trump said on Friday he "may do another little Epic Fury", the codename of the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28.
According to sources, Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned that even limited strikes would trigger a response "several times greater". Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ali Abdollahi said US forces would not be allowed into the Gulf "under any circumstances and at any time", adding that Trump would take that dream to the grave.
Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Tehran would not "wait for permission to defend itself". "We do not flee from dialogue for peace, and we do not hesitate in defending the country," she wrote.
Both of Iran's main adversaries face voters soon: Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday, and the US holds midterm elections on November 3. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he remains committed to overthrowing Iran's government, leaving the region, including neighbouring Pakistan, watching the coming days closely.