Iran warned the United States that it would retaliate militarily against any attack on its territory, stating: "They will be surprised."

Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Iran would respond with greater severity to any new military action by the United States. The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohamad Baqer Qalibaf, issued a new threat against the United States on Monday, stating that Iran's armed forces are prepared to respond to any military action. "Our armed forces are ready to respond and teach a lesson to any aggressor," the Iranian official wrote on the social media platform X. He then added: "They will be surprised." The statements came a few hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire in the Middle East is at a critical juncture after rejecting the latest response sent by Tehran as part of negotiations to try to halt the regional conflict. Trump called the Iranian counter-proposal, presented through diplomatic channels, "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE" and said that the truce, which has been in place for over a month, is on the verge of collapse. "The ceasefire is on life support," the U.S. president said in a statement to the press in Washington. The verbal escalation between the two countries has once again raised international concerns about the future of stability in the Persian Gulf and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important maritime corridors for the transport of oil and gas. The U.S. president said that the ceasefire with Iran is in a critical situation following the failure of negotiations (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein). According to Tehran's propaganda outlets, the Iranian response delivered to the United States included demands related to the lifting of economic sanctions, the end of the U.S. naval blockade, and guarantees that there would be no new attacks on Iranian territory. In addition, Iran demanded the unfreezing of Iranian assets held in foreign banks. The spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaei, stated that Tehran's position is based on "legitimate rights" and denied that his country had requested extraordinary concessions. "The only thing we are asking for is Iran's legitimate rights," he said. The talks are taking place amid a climate of maximum military tension in the Gulf. Iran has imposed restrictions on maritime traffic in Ormuz and has established control mechanisms over ships that transit this strategic route, which is normally used by approximately 20% of the world's traded oil. The possibility of an escalation of the crisis immediately impacted international energy markets. The CEO of the Saudi oil company Aramco, Amin Nasser, said that the current energy supply shock is "the largest the world has ever experienced." He also warned that, even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens quickly, it could take months for the market to stabilize. The spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaei, defended Tehran's demands amid the tension with the United States. In addition to the energy consequences, international organizations have warned about possible humanitarian effects resulting from the crisis. Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), told the AFP news agency that there is a risk of a global food emergency due to disruptions in the transport of fertilizers and basic products from ports in the Gulf. "We could face a crisis that pushes an additional 45 million people into hunger," the official said. Meanwhile, details continue to emerge about the Iranian proposal rejected by Washington. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the negotiations, Tehran proposed the possibility of diluting part of its highly enriched uranium and transferring another portion to a third country as part of a potential agreement. However, Iran's nuclear program remains one of the main points of disagreement between the two sides. The United States, Israel, and several Western allies have long claimed that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge that the Iranian regime repeatedly denies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently reiterated that the conflict will not end until Iran's nuclear facilities are neutralized. (With information from AFP)