“Iran has never allowed, and will never allow the US to determine the timing of war and peace,” said Esmail Baghaei, official spokesperson of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in his regular press conference in Tehran on Monday, July 27.

The United States is trapped in the quagmire it created five months ago by waging the war against Iran and is in no position to decide its course anymore, Baghaei claimed, in response to reports of the US deciding to halt its weeks-long strikes on the country.

Citing unnamed sources, US media reported on Sunday that weeks-long strikes on Iran are “on hold” for now.

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, later confirmed the news, claiming President Donald Trump wants to give diplomatic channels some space as “they have ramped up in the past few days,” simultaneously at “every level.”

However, despite Trump’s refusal, the media report indicates the actual reason for the hold could be concerns about a shortage of ammunition raised by military officials during their meeting with him last Friday.

In the absence of fresh US strikes, Iran too has not launched any major strikes on US bases in the region on Monday. However, Baghaei warned that it will not hesitate to retaliate to any fresh strikes.

“A war that was supposed to destroy Iran within three days and force it into submission has, after five months, left them trapped in the very quagmire they created,” Baghaei responded to the news of shortage of ammunition and rising oil prices due to the war.

Indirect talks are ongoing

More than 50 Iranians have been killed and hundreds others wounded in the latest round of US strikes on Iran, which began two weeks ago mostly focused on the country’s southern parts.

The latest round of attacks came despite a peace deal signed in June. The strikes were launched with a stated US objective of destroying Iran’s capacity to control the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran remains in control of the Hormuz with Baghaei asserting that talks with Oman continued over the weekend to create a formal mechanism to manage future navigation through it.

In a TV interview on Sunday, Baghaei also confirmed that there are ongoing talks with the US with the help of mediators, despite its repeated violations of agreements destroying the “foundation of diplomacy.”

Iran was attacked by the US in June 2025 during ongoing negotiations over its nuclear program. It was attacked for the second time in February 2026 again when the talks were still on with the Omani mediation. On both occasions Israel joined the US war killing thousands of Iranians including its top political and military leadership.

A peace deal was finally signed after Pakistani and Qatari mediation between Iran and the US in June. However, within weeks the US launched fresh strikes inside Iran accusing it of attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

“The entire world expected that this time, at least, the US would fulfil its commitments” under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in June, but it flagrantly violated various provisions of the deal “and for the third time diplomacy was betrayed,” Baghaei said.

Iran will respond to Ukrainian attack on its vessel

Responding to the news of the Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel on Saturday, Baghaei said Iran will respond to the unwarranted and illegal act as “Ukrainian regime must be held accountable.”

At least one Iranian sailor was killed and one was injured in the attack in the Caspian Sea on Saturday.

Baghaei claimed Ukraine’s act may broaden the war in the region. He reiterated that Iran was not involved in the Ukraine war in any way and there was no justification for the attack.

In a post on X on Sunday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed that the attack was carried out on the behest of Israel and is an attempt to drag Europe into the US war against Iran.

Iran also accused Ukraine of launching the attack on its ship just to get US attention as Zelenskyy’s seeks to play a greater role in its war in the region in exchange for weapons and financial support against its war with Russia.

Zelenskyy has already offered military support to the countries in the Persian Gulf after Iranian retaliation targeted US military bases in them. He also offered military assistance to launch a joint operation in the Strait of Hormuz against Iran.

Ukraine “must be certain that a theatrical stunt intended to attract attention and project a level of international influence that one does not actually possess will not remain contained,” Baghaei warned.

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