Iran said Tuesday only a "complete halt to all attacks and an assurance this will not happen again" could convince it to accept mediation and end the war begun by joint US-Israel strikes on February 28. At an afternoon press briefing government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Tehran needed more than the prospect of a ceasefire to come to the table.
"This has been demanded by our people... they need this assurance. We did not start the war but we will finish it,” she was quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was more forceful in rejecting talk of a ceasefire; he dismissed the notion talks with the United States and Israel could end this war.
"We are definitely not looking for a ceasefire," he wrote in Persian on X. "We believe the aggressor should be punched in the mouth to learn a lesson [and] will never think of attacking our beloved Iran."
Posted on X by @mb_ghalibaf
Remarks on ending the war follow US President Donald Trump declaring the fighting is "very complete" and threatening to take control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil supply is shipped.
In remarks to CBS – hours after Tehran fired a 33rd wave of projectiles, including the heavier Khorramshahr ballistic missile – Trump claimed the Iranians had been left with "no navy… no communications (and) they've got no air force".
READ | Trump Calls Iran War "Very Complete", Threatens To Take Over Hormuz Strait
"I think the war is very complete, pretty much," he told CBS by phone.
Iran's response today, however, suggests it does not share that view.
Tehran's shift to heavier missiles in the past 48-72 hours – underscored by a senior IRGC commander's vow about 1,000+ kg payloads - signals escalation rather than de-escalation.
NDTV Special | Missiles Carrying 1,000 kg Explosives - A New Tactical Phase For Iran
Meanwhile, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that his military offensive against Iran is "not done yet"; he claimed the Israeli op is 'degrading Iran's clerical leadership'.
Questions on the war's timeline have been among those most-asked since fighting began 11 days ago. Trump's initial assessment when it started was four to five weeks.
The significant shortening of that timeline – by 17 days at least – has been seen as a tactical move by Washington to address skyrocketing oil prices, a war fallout that has left the world scrambling to secure sufficient strategic reserves in the event of a long-term production halt.
Not unexpectedly, oil supply has become a flashpoint in this war, particularly after Israeli forces attacked four Iranian oil depots and refineries over the weekend, leading to massive fires across the Iran capital and even warnings of acid rain. The attack did not impress allies US; Axios cited unnamed sources as saying Washington's message to Tel Aviv was - 'WTF'.
