Iran Prepares Forces for War As Doubt Hangs Over US Nuclear Talks
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Iran's army chief of staff said the Islamic Republic's armed forces are at peak combat and intelligence readiness, warning that while enemies may start a conflict, Iran will decide how and where it ends, according to state news agency IRNA.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Department of State for comment.
Why It Matters
Iran and the United States concluded a tense fourth round of nuclear negotiations on Sunday in Oman, with President Donald Trump threatening military action if a deal is not reached. The talks seek to revive diplomacy after Trump's exit from the 2015 nuclear deal. With Iran still enriching uranium to 60% and Israel threatening strikes to prevent it getting atomic weapons, pressure is mounting to prevent conflict.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, center, reviews army's hardware as he is accompanied by armed forces commanders during the army parade commemorating National Army Day in front of the shrine of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, center, reviews army's hardware as he is accompanied by armed forces commanders during the army parade commemorating National Army Day in front of the shrine of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, just outside Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 18, 2025. More
Vahid Salemi/AP Photo
What To Know
"In case the enemies make a mistake or intend to take action against the establishment and the sacred waters and soil of the Islamic Republic of Iran, our armed forces have the ability and readiness to confront them," IRNA reported Chief of Staff of the Iranian army Major-General Mohammad Baqeri as saying.
Their mission readiness includes intelligence collection, operational planning and capability of implementing possible scenarios, Baqeri was quoted as saying.
Iran has said it doesn't seek a nuclear weapon. But the United States is pressing Iran for full denuclearization, urging a voluntary end to enrichment and the abandoning of centrifuges and the raw materials that could lead to a bomb, according to Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff.
What People Are Saying
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Mohammad Baqeri, as quoted by IRNA: "Our advice to the enemies who sometimes pose threats against the establishment is: You may initiate a conflict with the Islamic Republic based on a miscalculation, but the ending, manner, timing, location and developments on the battleground will not be within your control. It will be the Islamic Republic of Iran that will determine them."
U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff told Breitbart on Friday: "They may attempt to manipulate me. I don't think they're going to be able to manipulate me. In that particular example, if the Iranians make the mistake of thinking they can procrastinate at the table then they won't see that much of me and the alternative as the president says will be a bad alternative for them."
What Happens Next
As talks are expected to unfold, the United States is significantly bolstering its military presence at the Diego Garcia airbase within operational reach of Iran.
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