Iran official says Tehran ready to escalate if attacked
The warning comes as Iran hardens its position on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz even as US-Iran contacts continue.
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Map: The Gulf and Hormuz, marking Strait of Hormuz
An Iranian official says the country is ready for escalation if it faces aggression, adding that the United States has set no red lines in the region and that Iran is prepared for any scenario. The remarks respond to comments from Trump.
Trump has said his meeting with Iran was very productive and that another is scheduled soon. He has also said a US official spent three hours with Iran's delegation and that the talks went very well, adding that Witkoff feels very good about where things stand.
At the same time, Iran's foreign minister Araghchi met with EU foreign policy chief Kallas, alongside separate US-Iran contacts, even as Iran hardened its terms over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says it will halt flights from Tehran to Baghdad and Muscat from Wednesday, though international routes including Istanbul continue. Iran also says it will detain ships until they pay a 20% transit fee for passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a measure that follows a parliamentary committee proposal. The United States, meanwhile, has proposed a $10 billion fund with Arab allies designed to route around the strait.
The warning follows weeks of diplomatic signals, including the US-Iran talks and Trump's upbeat messaging about reaching a deal. Iran's stress on readiness for conflict, paired with the flight cancellations and the proposed Hormuz fines, points to Tehran hedging against a breakdown in talks and positioning for confrontation if negotiations stall. The gap between Trump's deal-making tone and Iran's hardening stance leaves less room for the two sides to step back.