Trump planning new military assault or tighter sanctions, say Iranian officials

Regime adviser warns Tehran could be forced into pre-emptive strikes if stalemate continues

Senior Iranian officials believe the US is planning either further military strikes or an ever-tightening economic stranglehold that will push Tehran into retaliatory action.

The assessment comes from Mehdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the US, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

If the US sanctions continued, he said, a comprehensive pre-emptive war would be needed “to increase the cost of sanctions for the enemy”.

Mohammadi described the US response to Iran’s latest proposals on reopening the strait of Hormuz as “not only unsatisfactory but completely deceptive”. “They do not want to release the frozen funds,” he said.