Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that a potential resumption of war with Israel and the United States would not change his country’s positions, according to Dawn. His remarks came as US President Donald Trump raised the prospect of further strikes on Iran, in the latest sign of possible Iran war escalation.
Dawn reported that Trump said on Friday that Washington "may do another little Epic Fury," a reference to the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28. Al Jazeera, citing Trump, reported that the US is considering a possible attack on Iran as soon as Sunday, or that it could reach a major deal with Tehran. Only a headline and short excerpt of the Al Jazeera report were available, so its full details could not be verified.
The most intense fighting ended with an April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the United States, according to Dawn. Sporadic exchanges of fire around the Strait of Hormuz have continued since then. Dawn reports that Iran has claimed control over the strait since the war began and has regularly targeted vessels crossing without its authorisation. The US is maintaining a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports. Independent confirmation of Iran’s claimed control over the strait has not been provided.
The Japan Times described a Middle East war that Trump said would be over in a matter of weeks, and which now looks set to escalate as it enters its eighth month. As with Al Jazeera, only a short excerpt of that report was available, and its reference to US and Israeli elections is not explained in the material reviewed.
Araghchi said that "the current war has changed everything," and that shipping routes and management of the strait "will no longer be the same." His comments were not accompanied by any response from the US or Israeli governments in the sources reviewed.
The background to the current tensions includes the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which Iran and the United States agreed to in June. The agreement was described as a pathway to a permanent settlement, but it later unravelled as each side accused the other of violating it. Tehran has since called for a return to the accord. The flare-ups in fighting have lulled in recent weeks.
The sources do not give the current status of the Islamabad talks or any specific deal terms. Dawn does not say what prompted Trump’s remark about another round of strikes.
Trump has said the US is considering an attack as soon as Sunday, or a major deal with Tehran. Whether either happens has not yet been reported. Araghchi’s remarks suggest Iran intends to hold its positions regardless of whether fighting resumes.
Most of the key facts in this report rely on Dawn, and the Al Jazeera and Japan Times material could not be checked in full. Readers should treat the details of Trump’s statements and the state of the talks as provisional until further reporting is available.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.