Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated further amid conflicting signals over a fragile ceasefire and growing uncertainty about Iran’s internal decision-making.
The United States believes one reason for Tehran’s delayed response to a proposed American settlement is that the Supreme Leader’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is reportedly keeping a low profile to avoid potential harm, according to a CNN report cited overnight.
The report suggested US officials are unsure whether Iran’s leadership is issuing clear instructions or whether senior figures are instead attempting to interpret the Supreme Leader’s position without direct guidance. Despite the uncertainty, Washington still believes a meeting between the US and Iranian negotiating teams remains possible.
In parallel, Donald Trump claimed in a post on Truth Social that Iran’s leadership is divided and said the US had been asked — at the request of Pakistani officials, including Army Chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — to pause military action while Tehran attempts to present a unified position.
Iranian state media, however, cast doubt on the ceasefire framework, with state television reporting that Iran does not recognise the US-announced truce and may not abide by it, instead acting in accordance with its “national interests”.
The Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Tehran had not requested any extension of the ceasefire and warned that continued US naval restrictions amounted in practice to an ongoing conflict. It also reiterated Iran’s refusal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any blockade would be met with force if necessary.
“The Americans have already been warned that the U.S. cannot unilaterally escape the war and leave Israel in the war,” the agency said, raising the prospect of broader regional escalation.
In further remarks overnight, Trump warned on social media that Iran was attempting to “save face” over the Strait of Hormuz situation, claiming the country was losing significant daily revenue due to restrictions.
He also suggested that reopening the waterway would complicate any diplomatic resolution, adding that failure to reach a deal could lead to further military escalation against Iranian leadership targets.
The competing narratives underline the fragility of the current situation, with ceasefire claims, military threats and diplomatic ambiguity all overlapping as both sides signal very different interpretations of the status quo.
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