Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has warned the United States and Israel against launching further military or terrorist attacks on Iran, asserting that Tehran's armed forces and people would decide when and how to respond if hostilities resume.
In a statement published on his official website on Saturday, Khamenei said Iran would determine the timing and conditions for bringing any renewed conflict to an end.
"If the enemies once again launch military or terrorist attacks, it is the armed forces of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation that will determine the time and conditions for ending them," the statement said, according to AFP.
The warning came after a reported meeting between Khamenei and senior military commanders. It was reportedly his first meeting with the country's military leadership since assuming the position of supreme leader.
During the meeting, Khamenei instructed military commanders to revise Iran's list of potential targets to include "all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy".
He also ordered the armed forces to ensure that any future threat was met with an "immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response". The commanders reportedly briefed him on military preparedness along the Persian Gulf coast, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and Iran's north-western and south-eastern borders.
The military leadership also reported a several-fold increase in the production of ammunition and reconnaissance, support and combat weapons.
Tehran sets conditions for resuming negotiations with Washington
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday that Tehran had examined a message from US Vice-President JD Vance and discussed it during high-level meetings.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Araqchi outlined Iran's conditions for restarting negotiations with the United States, including the lifting of sanctions imposed after the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) and a reduction in American military forces deployed in the region.
He also indicated that reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz on Iran's terms could create the conditions necessary for the resumption of talks with Washington.
Araqchi said Iran was also seeking the restoration of oil waivers and the release of its frozen assets, including funds held in Qatar. He described Tehran's proposal as the only plan currently on the table for reopening the waterway.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continued in Doha, where Iranian negotiators met Qatari mediators on Saturday following more than 12 hours of discussions in Tehran the previous day. The talks were aimed at finding a way to end the conflict and prevent renewed US military strikes.
Qatar had proposed a seven-day sequence of confidence-building measures before broader peace negotiations. However, Tehran reportedly found the proposal unsatisfactory and continued to push its own plan, which calls for Washington to lift its port blockade, unfreeze Iranian assets and recognise an Iran-backed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump hints at fresh strikes while keeping diplomatic option open
US President Donald Trump on Friday said he expected the war with Iran to end soon, although he offered no details about how an agreement could be reached.
"It's going to get wrapped up soon. We need a guarantee there'll never be a nuclear weapon," Trump said in an interview with Kansas City's KCMO Talk Radio station, according to Reuters.
However, Trump has repeatedly kept the possibility of renewed military action open despite expressing optimism about a diplomatic settlement.
On October 24, he hinted that the United States could launch fresh strikes against Iran as early as Sunday, while also suggesting that a diplomatic agreement remained possible.
Speaking to reporters after casting his ballot in Florida, Trump said Tehran wanted a deal to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz but questioned whether Iran would honour any agreement.
"Do you really think I would tell you that? Maybe tomorrow... There's a possibility I will. There's also a possibility we'll have a nice, big, beautiful agreement," he said when asked about the possibility of fresh military action.
His remarks came amid continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran, with Trump repeatedly wavering on the prospect of renewed strikes.
Regional governments have also stepped up diplomatic efforts amid concerns that further US attacks could trigger Iranian retaliation against American and Israeli interests in neighbouring countries.
War threatens regional security and global energy supplies
Washington and Tehran have remained locked in a war-like situation since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran.
The conflict triggered retaliatory attacks by Tehran across the region, heightened security concerns in the Gulf and disrupted international energy supplies.
Shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global oil and gas transportation, was brought close to a standstill amid military operations and restrictions on maritime movement.
The latest developments have heightened uncertainty over whether diplomatic efforts will prevent another escalation or whether Washington and Tehran will return to direct military confrontation.