Iran says decision rests with United States to prevent wider war

Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said that the responsibility rests on the United States to prevent a return to full war, according to The Hill and Moneycontrol.com. The statement followed after the United States conducted what it called defensive strikes against an Iranian anti-aircraft facility on Qeshm Island and Hengam Island, The Hill reported. Courthouse News Service separately reported that United States President Donald Trump confirmed strikes on Iran, which he described as minor. [1][3][7]

The Hill reported that Qalibaf cited a firm and rational response provided to Washington regarding demands over nuclear weapons and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, though he did not detail the exact nature of that response. Israel stated that it was not involved in the latest American strikes, according to Courthouse News Service. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has urged against a return to war, Courthouse News Service reported. [1][3]

In 2025 and 2026, Iran and the United States engaged in a series of negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement after Donald Trump sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei establishing a 60 day deadline. After the deadline passed without an agreement in June 2025, Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, initiating the Twelve Day War. The diplomacy later included multiple rounds of technical and bilateral meetings that resulted in the Islamabad Memorandum. [8]

United States intelligence sharing regarding Iran and other global threats has slowed down under the Trump administration, according to officials cited by The Jerusalem Post. At the same time, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has empowered talks as Donald Trump stated that an Iran deal could happen, Bloomberg.com reported. [2][4]