Iran's official Tasnim news agency denied President Trump's claim that Iranian officials contacted the US seeking to stop the strikes, calling it an 'absolute lie' and vowing a military response to 'aggression.' Trump separately told Fox News that if Iran does not agree to a deal by tomorrow, the US will 'blow Iran to pieces.' CENTCOM also denied an Iranian claim that the Strait of Hormuz was closed, saying it remains open to traffic.
The war of words between Washington and Tehran escalated late Tuesday, as Iran's state-linked Tasnim news agency categorically denied President Trump's assertion — made earlier in the day — that Iranian officials had reached out to the US seeking a halt to American strikes. Tasnim called the claim an 'absolute lie' and vowed a military response, further hardening the Iranian position after earlier denials by Iranian state media at 13:52 UTC, when The Zioneer first reported Tehran's rejection. Trump, in a concurrent Fox News interview, doubled down, threatening to 'blow Iran to pieces' if no deal is reached by Wednesday. The threat follows a series of Trump statements: at 13:52 UTC he said strikes would end 'very soon' but left the door open for more, and on Tuesday afternoon he described a potential week-long halt to Iranian fire on Israel if a deal were reached. US Central Command separately rejected an Iranian claim that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed, stating the waterway remains open to traffic, as The Zioneer reported on June 9 after an Iranian drone downed a US Apache helicopter near the strait. The broader context, as The Zioneer has reported, includes a White House narrative that the current strikes are a calibrated response to the Apache downing — not the start of all-out war — and that Trump has not abandoned diplomacy, with aides instructed to convey this via Qatari mediators. What remains open is whether the duelling ultimatums signal a genuine diplomatic window, or whether both sides are hardening positions ahead of further escalation.
11 developments
- DevelopingTrump says only one country asked US to continue bombing Iran, calls deal a nuclear blocker
- DevelopingTrump says US military on alert, urges Iran to return to negotiations after missile barrage
- DevelopingIran state media calls Trump outreach claim 'complete lie' as Tehran pledges military response
- DevelopingTrump, angered, says Iran is 'stalling' nuclear deal, threatens immediate attack
Source and signal
- Internal intake