Iran threatens ‘new cards’ on battlefield as ceasefire wanes

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf threatened to “reveal new cards on the battlefield” in a Monday evening social media post just days before the agreed ceasefire between the United States and Iran is set to expire.

“Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table — in his own imagination — into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.

“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield,” he concluded.

Ghalibaf led the Iranian delegation in Islamabad during April 11 peace talks with a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance. That meeting happened while a two-week ceasefire, mediated by Pakistan, was in effect. The ceasefire, announced on April 8, is set to expire on Wednesday.

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Vance is now expected to land in Pakistan again Tuesday to lead a second round of talks ahead of the deadline, according to PBS.

While Vance will hope to reach a long-term peace deal, Iran has signaled intransigence. Ghalibaf’s warning came two days after the Islamic Republic announced Saturday it was reimposing restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, reversing a previously announced decision to open the key waterway up.

Trump announced the Strait was “COMPLETELY OPEN” in a Friday Truth Social post, but insisted that the maritime blockade would continue “until there is a ‘DEAL.’

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The next day, Iran’s joint military command said that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state… under strict management and control of the armed forces,” adding that the restrictions would remain as long as the U.S. blockade did.

Iranian leadership has gone as far as to declare they won’t participate in the Islamabad peace talks with the U.S., Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday.

“If the U.S. sends a team to Islamabad, that is a matter that concerns them,” Baqaei said in a press conference.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran does not accept any deadlines or ultimatums to safeguard its national interests. We have clearly stated our red lines from the beginning, and we will not change our principled positions,” he added.