Tensions persist amid diplomacy

Amid uncertainty surrounding the status of peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would be open to meeting with Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, if the two nations reach a deal.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he did not want to meet, but if he did, he would "be honored to meet him (Iran's supreme leader)".

Trump went on to say that he was not Khamenei's "favorite person", but the Iranian supreme leader was "probably a professional" and, in some circles, "has a very good reputation actually", adding that some people have suggested a meeting.

The US president also claimed that breakthroughs could be on the horizon in the negotiations with Iran, Fox News reported, adding that Trump's red line for restarting the war would be if US troops were killed.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that the US had sent a message to Pakistan, one of the mediators, demanding a reply from Iran by the weekend and a signing ceremony in Geneva next week, and that it was unclear what the consequences would be if Iran failed to abide by those terms.

In a message observing the 37th death anniversary of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Khamenei warned that Iran's adversaries were seeking to weaken the resilience of the Iranian people and that decision-makers had miscalculated after suffering setbacks in their confrontation with Iran, Tasnim News Agency reported.

Khamenei said that the main objectives of Iran's enemies are to spread doubt, fear, disappointment, mistrust, and division within Iranian society. He stressed that these plans can be defeated through vigilance, steadfastness, national solidarity, and mutual trust between the people and the country's institutions.

Meanwhile, he underscored the responsibility of public officials to maintain hope and confidence among the Iranian population, warning that actions or rhetoric that foster pessimism and despair ultimately serve the interests of the country's adversaries.

Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, has warned that Washington will either receive a "hard slap" or be forced to accept Tehran's terms, blaming the US for sabotaging diplomacy and violating ceasefire commitments.

"The first betrayal came during the 12-day war and the second during the Ramadan war," Rezaei was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency, referring to the US-Israeli attacks on Iran in June 2025 and this year, both of which came amid indirect talks between Tehran and Washington.

The third, he said, was the most brazen: one day before a two-week ceasefire was set to expire, the US imposed a naval blockade. "That is a declaration of war," Rezaei said. "It is a betrayal of diplomacy."

Washington has maintained a blockade of Iranian vessels and ports despite announcing in April an extension of the ceasefire, in a violation of the terms of the truce brokered in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

On Thursday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement on the recent events in Lebanon that "our primary condition for accepting a ceasefire in the regional war has been a ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon".

Israel has continued to carry out deadly attacks across Lebanon despite a new US-brokered ceasefire agreement reached by Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington, DC.

According to Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health, at least 3,526 people have been killed and 10,733 wounded in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2.

Talks reiterated

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior said in a post on X that its Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni held a meeting where both emphasized the need to continue diplomatic efforts consistently for sustainable peace in the region.

The two officials also exchanged views on Pakistan-Iran relations and the latest regional situation.

In the latest developments on Friday, oil loading at Oman's Mina al Fahal terminal has been suspended following an explosion near the facility's single-buoy mooring berths due to an alleged drone attack, according to Xinhua News Agency.