Iran's Pezeshkian blames US for failed interim deal, calls for new attempt

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has blamed the United States for the failure of an interim deal with Iran. In remarks broadcast on Iranian television on Saturday, he also said there should be a new attempt to conclude the deal.

Al Jazeera and Reuters both reported the remarks. Al Jazeera said they were broadcast by Press TV. Reuters described the broadcaster as state TV.

According to Al Jazeera, the interim deal was aimed at ending the war between Iran and the United States and Israel. Al Jazeera reports that the war began on 28 February.

Also on Saturday, an Iranian warning said any military action would draw a response "several times greater". A headline from Anadolu attributed the warning to "Iran". Al Jazeera attributed it to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), citing the semi-official Fars News Agency. According to Al Jazeera, the warning applied even to limited strikes.

The warning came a day after remarks by US President Donald Trump. According to Al Jazeera, Trump said on Friday that he "may do another little Epic Fury". Al Jazeera says Epic Fury is the codename of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Other developments

According to Al Jazeera, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. They discussed tackling corruption and compensation for Iranians affected by the war, among other issues. Al Jazeera reports that Mojtaba Khamenei replaced his father, who was killed in the opening strikes of the war. It says he has not been seen in public since taking the position in early March.

Al Jazeera also states that Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was reported to have met Khamenei earlier this week. It does not identify the original source of that report.

According to Al Jazeera, Israelis vote for their next government on Tuesday. The US midterm elections are on 3 November.

What each side says

• Pezeshkian: The United States is to blame for the deal's failure. Both sides should return to the deal and "conclude it", according to Al Jazeera.
• Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ali Abdollahi: The US military will not be allowed in the Gulf "under any circumstances and at any time", Al Jazeera quoted him as saying.
• Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani: Tehran will not "wait for permission to defend itself" and "seeks peace but will respond to any aggression with severe consequences", according to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera quoted her as writing in a memo: "Our position is clear: we do not flee from dialogue for peace, and we do not hesitate in defending the country. Those who harbour the illusion of destroying Iran must correct their calculations."
• Trump: He suggested he could take further military action against Iran, according to Al Jazeera.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: He remains committed to overthrowing Iran's government, according to Al Jazeera.

What the reports do not include

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe the deal's terms, when it was agreed, or how it broke down. They include no US response to Pezeshkian's accusation. They do not say whether new talks are scheduled. They include no Israeli government statement on the deal.

Analysis

Pezeshkian's remarks pair an accusation with an offer to resume talks. This suggests Tehran may want to keep a diplomatic channel open while signalling military readiness. Without a US account of why the deal failed, responsibility cannot be independently assessed. Several scenarios appear possible: renewed negotiations, a continued standoff, or further military action. Upcoming elections in Israel and the United States could shape each government's calculations, though the reports do not establish how. The direction may depend partly on whether Washington responds to the call for a new attempt.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.