TEHRAN/DUBAI, May 23 (Arab News): Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on Saturday warned of a "crushing" response if US president Donald Trump resumes hostilities, saying Tehran had rebuilt its armed forces during a ceasefire.
"Our armed forces have rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire period in such a way that if Trump commits another act of folly and restarts the war, it will certainly be more crushing and bitter for the United States than on the first day of the war," he posted on social media.
Qalibaf made the warning after meeting in Tehran with Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, a leading figure in international efforts to negotiate a diplomatic settlement.
Tehran accused the United States of "excessive demands," Iranian media said on Saturday, as US media reports raised the prospect that Washington was mulling new strikes and leaders of the Islamic republic considered the latest peace proposal.
Pakistan's powerful army chief arrived in Tehran on Friday to bolster mediation and US President Donald Trump abruptly changed his plans to skip his son's wedding to stay in Washington due to "circumstances pertaining to government," fueling speculation that the situation had entered a sensitive stage. Munir met with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi late into the night to discuss "the latest diplomatic efforts and initiatives aimed at preventing further escalation," according to the official IRNA news agency.
Trump has described the stop-start negotiations this week as teetering on the "borderline" between renewed attacks and a deal to end the war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 and led to competing blockades around the strategic Strait of Hormuz that have roiled the global economy.
Iran chief negotiator vows 'crushing' response if US returns to war
FE Team | Published: May 23, 2026 22:09:03
Iran chief negotiator vows 'crushing' response if US returns to war
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