Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday said Iran's navy was ready to defeat the US forces amid disagreement over reopening of Strait of Hormuz. This comes as Tehran said no date has been set for the next round of talks with Washington.
Taking to his Telegram channel, Mojtaba posted that Iran’s "brave navy stands ready to make the enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats."
The US is yet to call of its blockade on Iranian ports, turning back at least 23 ships back towards the coast as of Saturday, according to the US military. Iran, on the other hand, has closed the Strait of Hormuz once again, preventing ships from passing. Two vessels were reportedly hit by gunfire from Iranian boats, according to sources.
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Earlier, Iran's deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh asserted that until there is an agreement on the framework, a date cannot be set for the negotiations.
"Now we are focusing on finalising the framework of understanding between two sides. We don’t want to enter into any negotiation or meeting which is due to failure which can be pretext for another round of escalation," he added.
Khatibzadeh warned that if the conflict resumes, Tehran's response will not be limited, it will be "a full-force response".
However, Islamabad has been gearing up for the second round of talks with beefed up security and logistical arrangements to host several key world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Other leaders expected to attend the meeting include Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Pakistani authorities have intensified the security along the VVIP route from Nur Khan Airbase to the Prime Minister's House. Several stretches on Express Highway, Murree Road and Shahrah-e-Dastoor which were in disrepair and lacked proper lane marking have also undergone maintenance works.
