Iran blames Washington for truce collapse as weekend strike feared

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington of causing the failure of an interim agreement designed to end the war with the United States and Israel. Speaking in comments broadcast by Press TV on Saturday, Pezeshkian stated that the two sides should return to the table to finalize the pact. His remarks emerged as fears grew that military operations could restart as early as this weekend.

The threat of renewed conflict follows a statement by US President Donald Trump on Friday. Trump suggested he might launch another operation using the codename Epic Fury. This was the name given to the US-Israeli campaign against Iran that began on February 28. The Iranian military has responded with sharp warnings about the consequences of any further strikes.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps indicated that even limited attacks would trigger a response several times greater in scale, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency. Ali Abdollahi, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, said on Saturday that the US military would not be permitted in the Gulf under any circumstances. He told Trump he could only dream of seeing US forces in the region and would take that dream to the grave.

Political pressure is mounting on both sides as elections approach. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains committed to overthrowing the Iranian government. Israelis will vote for their next government on Tuesday. In the United States, Trump faces midterm elections on November 3 where Democrats could gain control of both the House and Senate, a result that would deal a major blow to the president during the final two years of his term.

Fatemeh Mohajerani, the Iranian government spokesperson, issued a memo stating that Tehran would not wait for permission to defend itself. She wrote that the country seeks peace but will respond to aggression with severe consequences. Mohajerani added that Iran does not flee from dialogue but does not hesitate to defend the nation, telling those who wish to destroy Iran to correct their calculations.

In Tehran, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei met with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The two discussed tackling corruption and pursuing compensation for citizens affected by the war. Khamenei, who replaced his assassinated father as supreme leader in early March, has not been seen in public since taking office. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who leads negotiations, also met with Khamenei earlier this week.