Iran's Supreme Leader vows to drive 'enemy forces' out of the Arabian Sea 'soon' as latest round of peace talks set to get underway
The leader of Iran, who has not been seen in public since the outbreak of the war, said that "30 million Iranians have declared their willingness to sacrifice their lives"
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a warning to US and Israeli forces that they will "soon" be driven from the Arabian Sea, as the latest round of peace talks is set to get underway in New York this week.
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The leader of Iran, who has not been seen in public since the outbreak of the war, said that "30 million Iranians have declared their willingness to sacrifice their lives", adding that half a million are ready for "armed participation".
He wrote on Telegram: "Today, because of the painful blows the enemy has suffered at the hands of our valiant fighters and the guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, they dare not advance beyond the Arabian Sea.
"Whenever they have risked doing so, they themselves have suffered. And it won’t be long before the Arabian Sea rids itself of their presence too."
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Qatari mediators are expected to hold separate talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in New York and with the US side on Monday or Tuesday, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters.
The talks are expected to focus on an amended version of a seven-day proposal that Iran presented last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Araqchi remains in New York after attending the General Assembly. It was not immediately clear who would represent the US side in the talks with mediators.
Iran's seven-day plan envisages an end to all hostilities in Iran and Lebanon, the unfreezing of billions of dollars worth of Iranian assets, an end to sanctions on Iranian oil and the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports.
Tehran would then allow the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the two sides would also resume talks on Iran's nuclear programme.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had rejected Iran's proposal, saying Tehran wanted a swift agreement because of the crippling economic pressure it is under.
However, he also told Axios on Sunday that he expected US negotiators to engage in further talks this week.
Araqchi said on Sunday that mediators had not formally conveyed a US rejection to Tehran and that Iran was awaiting Washington's definitive position before deciding its next steps.
"Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met," he said on Sunday, adding that only a negotiated solution could resolve the impasse.