Iran has struck a defiant tone as the ceasefire with the United States nears its deadline, warning it is ready to escalate if talks collapse. Tehran says it will not negotiate under pressure, even as Washington maintains a strict blockade and pushes for a deal. Iran’s parliament speaker Ghalibaf accused the United States of using pressure tactics to force capitulation. “By imposing a blockade and breaching the ceasefire, Trump seeks to turn this negotiating table into a table of surrender,” he said, adding: “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threat.”The comments come as a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran edges towards expiry, with both sides exchanging warnings even as fresh talks are tentatively planned in Pakistan. A US delegation is expected to travel to Islamabad for a new round of negotiations, though Tehran has yet to confirm its participation.Also read: US helicopter gunner warns ship near Iran portWashington has maintained a hard line, with Trump insisting the naval blockade of Iranian ports will remain in place until a deal is reached. He claimed the measures are “absolutely destroying Iran”, saying the country is losing hundreds of millions of dollars daily. At the same time, the US president struck a defiant tone on the battlefield, declaring that American forces were “winning” and warning that further escalation could follow if diplomacy fails.Tensions have been further inflamed by confrontations around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global ????? artery through which a significant share of the world’s oil passes. Iran has intermittently restricted traffic through the waterway, while US forces have intercepted vessels accused of violating the blockade. The incidents have rattled global markets, pushing oil prices sharply higher amid fears of prolonged disruption.Beyond the immediate US-Iran standoff, the wider region remains on edge. Fresh US-backed talks between Israel and Lebanon are set to resume, even as sporadic violence continues despite a separate ceasefire involving Hezbollah. Meanwhile, European leaders have urged restraint, with Emmanuel Macron calling actions on both sides around Hormuz “a mistake”.With casualties mounting across multiple fronts and diplomatic efforts faltering, the coming days are widely seen as decisive. If negotiations fail to gain traction before the ceasefire expires, both Washington and Tehran appear poised to shift from brinkmanship back to open confrontation—one that Iran now says it is newly prepared to fight.
