Iran says return to war benefits ‘no one’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian asserted on Tuesday that a return to war would prove beneficial to "no one" following reports of US strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz. This declaration came amid US voters gearing up to choose representatives in midterm elections that could challenge President Donald Trump's political influence.

Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the US, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, declared the Islamic republic to be "prepared for battle with its finger on the trigger", while Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi noted Iran maintained the right to "legitimate self-defense" in response to the strikes. Pezeshkian emphasized the government's ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis through dialogue, stressing that "no one will benefit from this war" if it resumed, and highlighting that a recent decree by the country's supreme leader granted the government new negotiation powers.

The US strikes, reported by multiple outlets, targeted Qeshm Island in the Hormuz waterway, a crucial hotspot in the ongoing Middle East conflict that has disrupted global markets. While unnamed US officials cited by The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and The New York Times described the attacks as defensive, the Journal reported they were among several undisclosed strikes.

The US and Israel initiated their war with Iran in late February, with the conflict currently at a stalemate. Asked about Israel's involvement, an Israeli military spokesperson stated, "No." The reported Qeshm attack occurred just hours after Trump hinted at the potential for an Iran deal, as US voters prepared to cast their ballots in elections dominated by public discontent with the war and the resulting inflation.