The United States declared Tuesday that Iran is not genuinely pursuing a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict, while Iranian military officials issued a stark warning that any American attack on its nuclear facilities would spark a wider war and result in strikes against US and allied interests throughout the region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington is prepared to negotiate but charged that Tehran has refused to engage in any meaningful way.
“The US is open to dialogue and resolving the conflict. The problem is that Iran is not serious about the talks,” Rubio said.
Rubio also pointed to Iran’s blockade of an international waterway, saying it had “created a dangerous precedent that could repeat itself in other parts of the world-including in Asia.”
“The global economy is threatened, as are international trade laws and commerce–this cannot be allowed,” he added.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters fired back with a warning that a US strike on the country’s nuclear sites would amount to “an expansion of war in the region” and that “all US and its allies’ interests in the region will be attacked,” according to Iranian state television.
The warning came after President Donald Trump, speaking during a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, said the United States would likely strike Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain “pretty soon” and “very heavily.” According to Israeli intelligence, Pickaxe Mountain is believed to house centrifuges and may function as an underground site for Iran’s nuclear program.
Fighting stretched into its 11th consecutive night, with US Central Command, known as CENTCOM, reporting that it carried out strikes on military operations centers, naval capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and logistical infrastructure. CENTCOM said the mission was aimed at reducing Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, following more than 30 Iranian attacks on commercial vessels there over the past three months. Officials said those attacks had put hundreds of civilian sailors at risk and violated freedom of navigation.
Iranian media outlets reported explosions at multiple locations. The Fars news agency reported blasts near Bandar-e Mahshahr and Sirik in southwestern Iran, while Tasnim reported explosions in Bushehr along the Persian Gulf coast and in Tabriz, with initial assessments suggesting two sites had been hit.
In a separate development, Nour News reported that air defense systems were activated in Tehran. Reuters also reported that Kuwait deployed its own air defense systems to intercept Iranian drones.
