Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Aug 2: Iran's Acting Defence Minister Seyed Majid Ebn Al-Reza on Sunday said Tehran treats every threat from its adversaries as "real and noteworthy", asserting that the country would remain vigilant and continue strengthening its military preparedness and deterrence capabilities.
In a post on X, Al-Reza said Iran would neither be surprised nor remain passive in the face of threats, adding that such developments only reinforce the country's resolve to enhance its defence capabilities.
His remarks came after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to hold off fresh military action against Iran despite the United States being "locked and loaded" for an attack.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump claimed the US was prepared to act against Iran with military power "not seen since World War II", but had delayed action after requests from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries. He said a proposed agreement would include the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat.
Earlier reports in US media had suggested that US and Israeli strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure could begin over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Israel's Channel 12 reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi had agreed to a compromise proposal brokered by Qatar and the United States that would allow ships to enter the Gulf through the Iranian-controlled side and exit through Omani waters.
However, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, citing a source close to the Iranian negotiating team, dismissed the report, saying no such agreement had been reached.
Fars also quoted a military source as saying that as long as the United States continued what it described as "hostile and malicious acts", the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed, with ships allowed to transit only through routes designated by Iran and with the coordination and approval of the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The source further warned that alternative routes were unsafe and maintained that Iran's policy regarding the strategically important waterway remained unchanged.