Overview
- Iran’s supreme leader told a Tehran audience that any U.S. attack would trigger a regional war and vowed a forceful response to aggression.
- President Donald Trump said he hopes to reach an agreement with Iran but maintained the threat of force, citing red lines such as mass executions or the killing of peaceful protesters.
- Parallel military moves continued as Iran announced live-fire exercises in the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. kept the USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships nearby; U.S. Central Command cautioned against disrupting commercial traffic.
- Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said war is not inevitable, described intermediary exchanges with Washington as productive, and reiterated Iran’s demand for recognition of peaceful enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief.
- Tensions widened with Europe after Iran’s parliament labeled EU militaries as terrorist groups in retaliation for the bloc’s designation of the Revolutionary Guard.