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Iran claimed that the US is negotiating with itself as the regime fired back at President Trump’s 15-point plan to end the war on Wednesday.
Top military spokesperson Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari criticized any talk of a deal between Washington and Tehran, warning “Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you,” according to a video shared by the state-run Fars News Agency.
Zolfaghari didn’t refer to the US by name, but essentially branded Operation Epic Fury a “defeat” and accused Washington of making empty promises.
“The strategic power you used to talk about has turned into a strategic failure,” he said.
“The one claiming to be a global superpower would have already gotten out of this mess if it could. Don’t dress up your defeat as an agreement. Your era of empty promises has come to an end.
“Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?”
“Our first and last word has been the same from day one, and it will stay that way: Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you. Not now, not ever.”
The top official also warned the US wouldn’t see a return to pre-war oil prices unless stability in Tehran was ensured by “the powerful hand of our armed forces.”
“Stability comes through strength,” he said.
The demands put forward by Washington predominantly related to Iran’s nuclear capabilities, but also called for the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane to stay open, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The outlet reported 14 of 15 demands conveyed to Iran:
- Iran must dismantle existing nuclear capabilities
- Iran must commit never to pursue nuclear weapons.
- No uranium enrichment on Iranian territory.
- Iran must hand its stockpile of enriched uranium to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
- The Natanz, Isfahan and Fordo nuclear facilities must be dismantled.
- The IAEA must be granted full access to Iran’s nuclear facilities.
- Iran must abandon its “regional proxy paradigm.”
- Iran must cease the funding, directing and arming its proxies.
- The Strait of Hormuz must remain open.
- Iran’s missile program must be limited in both range and quantity.
- Iran must limit its use of missiles to self-defense.
Iran would benefit from:
- The end of sanctions imposed by the international community.
- US assistance to advance its civilian nuclear program.
- A “snapback” mechanism allowing for the automatic reimposition of sanctions if Iran fails to comply would be removed.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt signaled that the US military operations against Iran will continue until Trump’s objectives are met.
The Pentagon is gearing to deploy a 3,000 person brigade combat team from the Army’s 82nd Infantry Division to the Middle East — just days after dispatching a three ship unit with approximately 2,500 Marines aboard.
Iran has made a set of demands in return, which a US official branded “ridiculous and unrealistic,” the Wall Street Journal reported.
On top of the lifting of sanctions, Tehran called for the closure of all US military bases in the Persian Gulf.
The Islamic Republic has called for a system where it would collect tolls from ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz
The regime has since confirmed so-called non-hostile ships would be allow to pass through the chokepoint, which carries a fifth of the world’s oil per day.
Despite talk of negotiations, Iran fired missiles toward central Israel and the country’s military intercepted a missile fired at Eilat – a city in the south of the country.
With Post wires
English (US)