Tehran, Iran – Iranian authorities urged supporters to maintain control of the streets and said the United States must do more if an agreement to end the war was to be reached.
The U.S. delegation participating in marathon talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday “ultimately did not have the confidence of the Iranian delegation in these negotiations,” said Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the parliament who led the Iranian delegation.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the U.S. Navy would immediately begin procedures to block any ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz from waters south of Iran. He also said U.S. forces remain “locked and loaded” and will “fully deal” with Iran at the “appropriate moment.”
The fact that the Iranian delegation has not responded to key US demands to eliminate nuclear enrichment from Iranian territory and end Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz was welcomed by Iranian authorities on Sunday, anticipating defiance.
Justice Minister Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ezei thanked the delegation for visiting Islamabad and said paramilitary forces had protected the rights of Iranian government supporters, converging on major squares, streets and mosques in Tehran and other cities every night for more than six weeks.
As delegates took part in talks on Saturday night, a soldier from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Aerospace Division was shown on state television waving a flag in downtown Tehran and telling supporters not to worry.
The man, wearing a military uniform and a black mask to conceal his identity, said, “If the enemy doesn’t understand, we will make you understand,” to cheers from the crowd, while some in the crowd called for more missile and drone strikes from the IRGC.
State TV also said it was Trump, not Tehran, who wanted to “restore its image” through negotiations and that his “excessive demands” were the reason the talks failed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it does not expect negotiations to be concluded in one day.
Several members of the hard-line majority parliament said they were glad the talks did not produce a result because they believed Iran had the upper hand in the war.
Parliament Speaker Hamidreza Haji-Babaei Hamidreza said the only thing the establishment supporters on the streets would accept was a UN Security Council resolution announcing US surrender and leading to the lifting of sanctions on Iran and its leaders.
Tehran lawmaker Amir Hossein Sabeti, a member of the hard-line Faydar faction, said, “I am grateful to the negotiating team for not backing down from the red line,” and added, “We have no choice but to show resistance on the ground against these evildoers and demons.”
Further escalation in the future
This comes after some pro-government voices said they were disheartened by the sudden announcement overnight of a two-week ceasefire until Wednesday and direct negotiations to end the war with the United States.
The Iranian delegation sent to Islamabad to address internal concerns was attended by more than 85 people, including dozens of state media representatives and analysts close to various factions, according to local media.
In addition to Ghalibaf, the former IRGC commander who promoted Iran’s missile program, senior members of the team included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, hard-line Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Khani, Defense Council Chairman and former Security Director Ali Akbar Ahmadian, and moderate Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemati.
Saturday’s talks confirmed that a diplomatic breakthrough is not yet close and that further escalation is likely, even if there is no immediate return to full-scale fighting.
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran’s parliament’s National Security Committee, said of the naval blockade and new threats announced by Trump on state television on Sunday afternoon: “What he (Trump) said after the deal is just excessive words. He is speaking his wishes out loud.”
The IRGC threatened to respond with full force if the warship passed through the Strait of Hormuz. He also rejected the U.S. military’s announcement that two U.S. warships had passed through the strait in preparation for an operation to clear mines blocking the strategic waterway.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a phone call with Iranian President Massoud Fezeshkian on the 2nd that he is ready to diplomatically promote peace in the Middle East.
Fezeshkian, who is primarily responsible for internal affairs, has supported the establishment and continuity of support for Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen or heard from beyond a written statement since Israel and the United States began fighting on February 28. His government announced that schools and universities would open online using limited local intranets until further notice.
Iran’s economy continues to struggle with chronic inflation, with more jobs set to be lost in 2026 as the country continues its near-total internet shutdown.
