Iran’s top negotiator has warned that the country would respond with overwhelming force if US President Donald Trump resumes military strikes, insisting that Tehran has significantly rebuilt its armed capabilities during a six-week ceasefire in the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued the warning in a post on social media, stating that Iran’s military readiness had been strengthened during the pause in hostilities.
“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 wrote.
The comments came after Ghalibaf held talks in Tehran with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been involved in diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions and advancing negotiations to end the conflict.
Munir arrived in the Iranian capital on Friday and met with senior officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in discussions that stretched late into the night, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
Both sides reportedly reviewed the latest diplomatic initiatives focused on preventing further escalation and finding a pathway toward ending the war.
Images released by Iran’s presidential website showed Munir also meeting President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, ahead of additional talks with Araghchi.
State media said the follow-up meeting at the Foreign Ministry was expected to involve extensive and detailed discussions on legal and diplomatic issues surrounding the conflict.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed that Araghchi had engaged in a series of calls with counterparts from Turkey, Iraq and Qatar, as part of wider diplomatic efforts to contain the crisis.
State news agency IRNA added that Araghchi also spoke with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, reviewing ongoing efforts to reduce tensions and bring an end to the war.
Oman has long played a mediating role in talks between Tehran and Washington, while Pakistan has increasingly been presented as a potential intermediary in the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
