May 20, 2026
Women hold Iran’s national flags and photos of country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and his predecessor and late father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during an anti-US and Israel protest at the Hafte Tir Square in Tehran on May 17, 2026. President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran on May 17, saying it had to move quickly towards a peace deal or “there won’t be anything left of them.” Washington, locked in conflict with Tehran since US and Israeli forces launched major strikes on the Islamic republic beginning February 28, has struggled to break an impasse and make any progress toward ending a war that has shaken the Middle East and sent energy prices climbing. (Photo by AFP) /
Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Wednesday said the United States was seeking to restart the war and hoping the Islamic republic would surrender.
“The enemy’s movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war,” Ghalibaf said in an audio message on his official website.
Ghalibaf’s remarks came as Tehran and Washington escalated threats while swapping proposals to end the war, which broke out on February 28. A ceasefire has been in place since April 8.
