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Iran’s top leadership has put its military on the highest level of alert as tensions between the US, Israel, and Iran continue to escalate.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Iran’s nuclear program has been a pain in the ass for Western countries for over a decade. In 2015, Tehran signed a major deal with the US, Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany—agreeing to strict limits on its nuclear activity in exchange for relief from crushing economic sanctions. That deal fell apart in 2018 when Trump pulled the US out, calling it weak and accusing Iran of secretly pushing for nukes. Since then, Iran has steadily abandoned its commitments, enriching uranium to levels that experts say would let it build a bomb in days—not months. Tehran insists its program is peaceful, but many Western countries aren’t buying it. Trump has signaled in recent weeks that Iran is running out of time to reach a deal on the total dismantling of their nuclear program, warning that if no agreement is made, then they will have no choice but to “bomb” Iran.
What’s going on now: According to Iranian media, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered the military to reach its highest level of readiness over the weekend, just as Trump doubled down on calls for direct negotiations. Speaking to an Iranian news outlet, Hossein Salami, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said, “We are not worried about war at all. We will not be the initiators of war, but we are ready for any war.”
According to Saudi outlet Al Arabiya, Iran is rejecting face-to-face talks with the US but is open to backchannel diplomacy via Oman. A senior Iranian official speaking to Reuters said, “Indirect talks offer a chance to evaluate Washington’s seriousness.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added, “Direct negotiations with a party that constantly threatens the use of force are meaningless.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian backed that up on Saturday, saying Iran is willing to engage—but only “on equal footing.” He asked, “If you want negotiations, what is the point of threatening?” and accused the US of “humiliating not just Iran, but the world” through its actions.
This all comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to the White House for his second face-to-face meeting with President Trump since he took office back in January.
