Iran says it has won what a senior official called the Islamic Republic’s “first” military victory in its 47-year history, a development Tehran says has strengthened its position in stalled peace talks with the United States and put the ball in President Donald Trump’s court. Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, told CNN that the outcome has fundamentally altered negotiations and that Washington now faces a test of trust.
Rezaei said a final peace deal hinges on the Trump administration releasing $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds. According to the adviser, Tehran is seeking $12 billion to be released after an interim pact and a further $12 billion in a second phase. Unlocking the money, he argued, would signal U.S. willingness to pursue an agreement. “The negotiations are at a deadlock and Trump must break this deadlock,” Rezaei said. “The ball is in Trump’s court. If he (Trump) wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust… This is our own money, not America’s money.”
Despite a fragile ceasefire holding across parts of the region, Rezaei warned that any renewal of hostilities would extend beyond the Persian Gulf. He said Iranian strikes would target American bases outside the Gulf and could broaden the conflict from the Strait of Hormuz to the Indian Ocean, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. “The possibility of war is low,” he added, but he stressed Tehran’s readiness and said that a resumed campaign would reveal Iran’s “true capabilities,” including substantial land power in addition to missiles.
Rezaei dismissed the prospect of a meeting between Trump and supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, responding to recent U.S. comments that the president would be “honoured” to meet the Iranian leader. “This will not happen,” Rezaei said, blaming Trump for stalling the first stage of negotiations.
The adviser also repeated Iran’s claim of shared sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz with Oman and called for joint management of the strategic waterway, suggesting ships could be charged maintenance fees so Iran would not shoulder upkeep alone. He expressed skepticism about the future of any nuclear accord with the Trump administration, citing Washington’s 2015 withdrawal from the original deal and what he described as an “ambiguous” negotiating approach.
Original Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/first-time-iran-has-won-supreme-leader-mojtaba-khamenei-aide-has-a-test-for-trump-us-war-strait-of-hormuz-sanctions-101780690917361.html
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Publish Date: 2026-06-06 05:33:00
