TEHRAN: Iran’s army warned on Tuesday (May 19) it would “open new fronts” against the United States if it resumes attacks, after President Donald Trump said he had held off launching a new offensive in hopes of striking a deal.
The warning came amid a shaky ceasefire in place since Apr 8, with Washington and Tehran exchanging proposals in an effort to end the Middle East war, which began on Feb 28.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Gulf leaders had asked him “to hold off on our planned military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place”.
But Trump added he had instructed the US military to be “prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached”.
On Tuesday, Iran’s army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia warned “to open new fronts against” the United States if it resumes attacks on the Islamic republic.
He added that Iran’s military had used the ceasefire as an opportunity “to strengthen its combat capabilities”, without elaborating.
Qatar, which suffered Tehran’s retaliatory strikes following US-Israeli assaults during the war, emphasised that more time was needed for the ongoing Pakistani-mediated efforts to push for Iran-US talks.
“We are supportive of the diplomatic effort by Pakistan that has shown seriousness in bringing parties together and finding a solution, and we do believe it needs more time,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said at a press conference.