‘Trump won’t be in a position to dictate’: Iran warns against new war with US

Iran on Sunday (Nov 1) warned that any new war with the United States could last longer than the previous conflict, saying Washington will not decide when it ends. Army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said that US President Donald Trump would not dictate the terms of a future war.

“A potential future war could last longer than previous conflict, and the American president would not be in a position to dictate the timing or the conditions of its conclusion,” Akraminia said, according to state television.

Tehran warns of wider retaliation

Akraminia was referring to the war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks, while groups backed by Iran joined the fighting in Lebanon and Yemen.

Defence Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi on Sunday (Nov 1) warned of a “proportionate, decisive, and impactful response” to any attack.

“Those who pose threats will not dictate the scope, timing, or consequences of Iran’s defensive response,” he said.

Hossein Mohebbi, spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), echoed remarks made earlier by Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. He said a conflict with Washington would not be confined by geography.

“In a conflict with America, there are no geographical limitations; a vast theatre has been defined for inflicting damage upon the enemy,” Mohebbi said.

Trump says targets remain

Earlier on Saturday (Oct 31), Trump said that the United States had knocked out Iran’s military, but had one or two targets to address.

“We’ve knocked out their nuclear. We still have to take care of, I would say one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes,” he said.

Will US, Iran hold direct Doha talks?

Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported a breakthrough in the diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between the US and Iran. The outlet reported, citing sources familiar with the mediation efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan, that Washington and Tehran have reached an understanding on preliminary steps involving Iran’s nuclear programme, the Strait of Hormuz and financial incentives. China and Russia could also act as guarantors of a potential agreement.

The reported breakthrough comes after more than 12 hours of discussions between Qatari mediators and Iranian officials in Tehran on Friday (Oct 30). The talks were aimed at creating conditions for renewed direct negotiations and preventing another escalation.