In a message posted on his X account, Qalibaf wrote, “Trump, by imposing a blockade and violating the ceasefire, seeks to, in his own imagination, turn the negotiating table into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering.”
“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threat, and over the past two weeks we have been preparing to unveil new cards on the battlefield,” he added.
The US and the Israeli regime launched a large-scale unprovoked military campaign against Iran following the assassination of then Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, along with several senior military commanders and civilians on February 28.
The attacks have involved extensive aerial strikes on both military and civilian locations across Iran, causing significant casualties and widespread damage to infrastructure.
In response, the Iranian Armed Forces carried out retaliatory operations, targeting American and Israeli positions in the occupied territories and at regional bases with waves of missiles and drones.
The war has been brought to a halt for two weeks after a Pakistani-mediated ceasefire on April 8.
Against this backdrop, prospects for diplomacy remain uncertain. Tehran has not yet made a decision on participating in a second round of Pakistani-mediated talks with Washington in Islamabad, with Iranian officials citing Washington’s contradictory actions and naval blockade of Iran as key factors behind the hesitation.