‘US Negotiating with Itself’: Iran Mocks Donald Trump’s Peace Claim

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters, the unified combatant command of the Iranian Armed Forces, has mocked claims by US President Donald Trump that Washington is negotiating with Tehran and that the war is nearing an end.

In a video posted by Fars News on Wednesday, the military spokesperson said the situation had reached a point where the United States was “negotiating with themselves.”

"The strategic power you used to boast about has now turned into a strategic defeat...Do not label your defeat as an 'agreement,'” the spokesperson said.

"No freedom-seeking truth-seeker will be deceived by your media waves. The level of your internal conflicts has reached the stage where you are negotiating with yourselves,” he added.

“There will be no more talk of your investments in the region, nor will you ever see the former prices of energy and oil again, until you understand that stability in this region is guaranteed only by the powerful hand of our armed forces," the spokesperson said.

How did Iran respond to Donald Trump’s claims of ongoing negotiations?

The spokesperson further underlined that Iranian forces would never come to terms with the US and Israel.

"Stability through power. We explicitly declare: until we will it, no situation will return to its previous state,” he said.

“This will is established only when the thought of any action against the Iranian nation is completely erased from your filthy minds," the spokesperson further said.

"Our first and last word, from the very first day, has been, is, and will remain: someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you. Not now, and not ever," he added.

Earlier, Trump had confirmed that negotiations were underway, asserting that the conflict was close to ending.

"We're in negotiations right now. I can tell you, they'd like to make a deal and who wouldn't if you were there?,” the US President said.

What did Donald Trump claim about Iran’s military and the ongoing war?

“Look, their navy's gone, their air force is gone, their communications are gone," said Trump.

"Pretty much everything they have is gone. I think we are going to end it. I cannot tell you for sure. For instance, if I want to take down that power plant, they can't do a thing about it... They are totally defeated... Militarily, they are dead," he added.

Iranian officials on Tuesday had also denied reports of any negotiations with the United States, stating that peace would only be achieved once the US and Israel halt their campaign.

With Iranian forces adopting a belligerent posture and launching wave 80 of retaliatory strikes, prospects for peace in West Asia remain uncertain.

Israeli media reported that the United States and Israel have granted temporary immunity to two key Iranian figures, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

This follows a public statement by Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz that leaders of the Islamic regime were legitimate targets in the ongoing war.

According to Israel’s Channel 14, the immunity will remain in effect for at least five days during the ongoing negotiations with Tehran.

(With inputs from ANI)