Tehran links ceasefire to Hormuz demands

Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran will not accept any temporary ceasefire unless its demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz are met, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday.

Speaking to Tasnim News Agency, Araghchi argued that every time Washington had “tested” Iran, it had received a “decisive response,” while accusing the United States of continuing the same approach.

Dismissing suggestions that diplomacy had stalled because of a lack of mediators, he noted that Pakistan and Qatar continue to facilitate indirect contacts between Tehran and Washington.

A day earlier, US President Donald Trump told Axios he was “seriously considering” resuming large-scale military operations against Iran while cautioning that Israeli participation in the strikes “would have consequences.”

Israeli media reported on Thursday that authorities opened public shelters in Tel Aviv and across central and southern Israel after a security assessment found the threat of Iranian missile attacks over the weekend had risen. Israeli officials have previously warned that expanding US strikes on Iran’s strategic infrastructure and senior leadership could prompt direct retaliation against Israel.