A spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), General Ali Mohammad Naeini, said the course of the war will not be determined in Washington but in Tehran. According to him, Iran now holds the initiative and has the ability to widen the battlefield if necessary.

In a sharply worded statement reported by Iranian media, Naeini warned that if attacks on Iran persist, the country could block the flow of oil from the region. ‘Not a single liter of oil will leave the region,’ he said, signaling a move that could shake global energy markets.

The warning is particularly significant because the world’s oil supply heavily depends on shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the busiest maritime corridors for energy exports.

Naeini also rejected claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that Iranian missile capabilities have been weakened. He argued that Iranian forces continue to launch missiles with even greater power, some reportedly carrying warheads weighing more than one ton.

According to the IRGC spokesperson, U.S. naval forces and aircraft have moved far from Iranian territory out of fear of missile and drone strikes. He also claimed that several advanced American radar systems in the region had been destroyed and that Iranian air defenses had downed multiple expensive drones.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ruled out the possibility of renewed talks with the United States. In an interview, he said past negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program left a “bitter experience,” making it difficult for Tehran to trust Washington again.

Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of launching attacks on Iran’s nuclear and missile facilities but said their efforts had failed to cripple Iran’s military capabilities. He stressed that Iran is prepared to continue missile strikes for as long as necessary.

Iranian officials insist the country did not start the conflict but will defend itself by targeting U.S. military bases across the region if attacks continue.

The speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also dismissed the idea of a quick ceasefire. In a post on social media, he wrote that Iran believes the aggressor must be dealt a decisive blow so that it ‘never again dares to attack our beloved Iran.’

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said any mediation effort must include a complete halt to hostilities and firm guarantees that Iran will not face further attacks in the future. According to her, temporary pauses in fighting would not be enough; Iran wants lasting security assurances.

In a separate development, the IRGC said it launched missile strikes on the Harir Air Base in Erbil, located in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, which hosts U.S. military forces.

As the conflict enters another tense phase, analysts warn that further escalation could draw more countries into the crisis and disrupt global trade routes, especially if the Strait of Hormuz becomes a flashpoint.

For now, both sides appear determined to stand their ground, leaving the region and the world watching closely for what happens next.