Vigilance in Iran in the shadow of the stalled negotiations – and the threats: “The reckoning will come in the end”

The tensions between Iran and the United States continue today (Monday), against the background of the lack of progress in the contacts between the parties and the fear of the collapse of the diplomatic track. While the parties continue to exchange messages regarding the prospects of the agreement, officials and commentators associated with the Iranian regime issue harsh threats – and claim that the continuation of the war in Lebanon, may entail extensive consequences beyond the borders of the local arena.

The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bakr Kalibaf, threatened today that “the naval blockade and the escalation of war crimes in Lebanon by the Zionist regime are clear proof of the US’s non-commitment to the ceasefire. Every choice has a price, and the reckoning will come in the end. Everything will return to its place.”

At the same time, in the conservative Iranian newspaper Kihan, which is considered close to the power centers in the regime, an article was published that called for the negotiations with the US to be suspended as long as, according to them, the violations of the cease-fire by Washington and Israel continue. It is claimed that “since the announcement of the cease-fire on all fronts, neither the US has stopped the damage to Iranian ships at sea nor has the Zionist regime reduced its attacks in Lebanon”, and therefore “The minimum step that Iran can take is to stop negotiations until the enemy meets the terms of the ceasefire.”

Tehran continues to broadcast a double message: on the one hand, declarations of willingness to continue the diplomatic path, and on the other hand – public support for the “resistance front” and harsh accusations against Washington. The spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Ismail Baka’i, made it clear that Iran has no intention of abandoning Lebanon.

“We come back and emphasize that we see ourselves as allies,” he said. “Any action we can take to help Lebanon and help the Lebanese resistance in the face of the illegal aggression and attacks of the Zionist regime – we will not hesitate to do it,” he emphasized. Mohammad Marandi, who served as an adviser to the Iranian negotiating team in the talks in Pakistan, threatened last night: “If Netanyahu does not stop his war in Lebanon, the collapse of the US economy will begin in June. The clock is ticking.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also referred to Israel’s northern front: “The cease-fire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a cease-fire on all fronts, including in Lebanon. A violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation” a spokesman for the armed forces in Iran commented and said they will not accept the “continuation of crimes in Lebanon”.

Ismail Kothari, a member of the National Security Committee in the Iranian Parliament, clarified yesterday that “talks with Washington are continuing, but we have not reached a final agreement, and we know that they will not lead to a result.” He accused and claimed that “everything the US president says is a lie aimed at achieving his interests and controlling global energy prices.”

According to him, “The nuclear issue was not a subject of negotiations and will not be. The current talks are focused on a complete end to the war. Iran is now negotiating on preventing the return of war, payment of reparations, the withdrawal of American forces from the region and the lifting of the naval blockade.”

Journalist Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of the Iranian newspaper Harshmani Kihan, claimed that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has become Tehran’s main pressure lever against the West. According to him, “the USA and its allies have been short of breath because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump’s goal in his repeated statements about progress in negotiations is to reduce tensions in the oil market.”

Shariatmadari even claimed that “the Strait of Hormuz has blocked the breathing path of the US and its allies”, and warned against any Iranian step that could be interpreted as a concession or a weakening of Tehran’s position. Against this background, he presented a series of warnings and recommendations to the authorities in Iran, which, according to him, were designed to prevent Trump from taking advantage of the negotiations to obtain relief from the economic pressure created by the crisis in the Strait Hormuz.