May 23, 2026
In this handout picture provided by the Iranian presidency, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) meets with Pakistans Army Chief Syed Asim Munir in Tehran on May 23, 2026. Pakistan’s powerful army chief arrived in Tehran on May 22 to bolster mediation between Iran and the US as weeks of negotiations since an April 8 ceasefire — including historic face-to-face talks hosted by Islamabad — have still not produced a permanent resolution or restored full access to the Hormuz strait, choking vast quantities of global oil supply. (Photo by Iranian Presidency / AFP) / === RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / HO / IRANIAN PRESIDENCY” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ===
Iran’s chief negotiator on Saturday warned of a “crushing” response if US President Donald Trump resumed attacks on the country, saying Tehran had rebuilt its armed forces during the six-week-long ceasefire in the Middle East war.
“Our armed forces have rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire period in such a way that if Trump commits another act of folly and restarts the war, it will certainly be more crushing and bitter for the United States than on the first day of the war,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on social media.
