Iran sticks to demands even as threat of renewed US-Israel attacks grow

Iran will not allow the Strait of Hormuz to fully reopen until the US accepts its terms, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, warning that Tehran is ready to resume fighting if the standoff escalates, even as he insisted diplomacy remained possible. Indirect negotiations between <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/">Iran</a> and the US were continuing through mediators Pakistan and Qatar, Mr Araghchi told Iraqi state television in an interview aired early Wednesday. “Until an agreement or understanding is reached regarding this strait, it will not be open to everyone,” he said. His remarks came after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed an oil supertanker carrying more than two million barrels exploded after <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/20/live-saudi-uk-raf-jets/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/20/live-saudi-uk-raf-jets/">hitting a naval mine</a> near the Strait of Hormuz late on Tuesday. It was the latest in a series of such IRGC claims that remain unverified. On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told visiting <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/gulf/2026/10/20/pakistan-army-chief-arrives-in-tehran-as-iran-seeks-leverage-in-us-talks/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/gulf/2026/10/20/pakistan-army-chief-arrives-in-tehran-as-iran-seeks-leverage-in-us-talks/">Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir</a> that the US must lift sanctions and end its threats before talks can resume, seemingly contradicting what Mr Araghchi said. Mr Munir was in Tehran with an official delegation as Pakistan sought to mediate between the two sides. Qatar said communication between Washington and Tehran had “not stopped” and that the aim was to reach a solution as soon as possible. The US and Israel appear to be weighing military options, however. Last week, CNN reported that the US had developed strike plans that could include using the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, also known as <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/18/iran-names-new-defence-minister-as-he-warns-us-over-mother-of-all-bombs/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/18/iran-names-new-defence-minister-as-he-warns-us-over-mother-of-all-bombs/">the Mother of All Bombs</a>, or Moab, against Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites if US President Donald Trump orders renewed combat operations. The weapon is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal. The threat of renewed military action extends to Iran's <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/07/15/what-is-pickaxe-mountain-the-suspected-iranian-nuclear-site-trump-says-is-in-us-crosshairs/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/07/15/what-is-pickaxe-mountain-the-suspected-iranian-nuclear-site-trump-says-is-in-us-crosshairs/">Pickaxe Mountain</a>, a deeply buried site near Natanz nuclear complex. Separately, <i>The Financial Times </i>reported on Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was pushing for large-scale strikes against Iran, having ordered the military to prepare for a major new offensive earlier this month. The Israeli military had prepared a multi-day bombing campaign for the weekend of October 10 that would have targeted civilian infrastructure, including electricity plants, as well as nuclear facilities and sites associated with Iran’s leadership, the <i>FT</i> said, citing three people familiar with the matter. The operation was ultimately shelved amid opposition from Mr Trump, who did not want to restart the conflict ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, the sources said. The proposed campaign was intended to be more intense than the joint US-Israeli offensive launched against Iran in February, the <i>FT</i> reported. Mr Netanyahu and Mr Trump have nevertheless continued to threaten renewed military action, saying the US and Israel must “finish” the job against Iran. Quoting two US officials, Fox News reported meanwhile that the US was deploying the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, adding about 10,000 sailors and Marines by the end of November. It would be the third US aircraft carrier in the region The reports came after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met Mr Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, as the two sides discuss the possibility of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/20/hegseth-meets-netanyahu-in-unannounced-israel-visit-amid-iran-war-concerns/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/20/hegseth-meets-netanyahu-in-unannounced-israel-visit-amid-iran-war-concerns/">resuming major combat operations</a> against Iran ahead of the US midterms. The visit came a day after <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/10/18/trump-netanyahu-endorsement-election/" target="_blank" rel="" title="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2026/10/18/trump-netanyahu-endorsement-election/">Mr Trump publicly endorsed Mr Netanyahu</a> ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran was preparing for possible renewed attacks and saw little prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough before the US elections. Mr Trump has said Washington would not strike Iran again before the vote. In the interview, Mr Araghchi said Iran was preparing for possible renewed US and Israeli military action, despite its stated preference for diplomacy. “Every possibility exists in the future, including the possibility that the Americans and the Zionist regime will launch another war against Iran,” he said. The Foreign Minister argued the dispute went beyond Iran’s nuclear programme, saying: “The nuclear issue is nothing more than a pretext." Meanwhile, Iranian officials have warned that undersea cables, data centres and artificial intelligence facilities could be targeted if fighting resumes. Qatar has cautioned that threats to cables, sea mines and oil spills in the Strait of Hormuz would harm countries across the region. Shipping through the strait remains severely disrupted, putting pressure on energy markets and regional economies. Oil prices have edged higher on Middle East supply concerns. Brent crude touched $111.99 a barrel on Tuesday, the ⁠highest since May 20.