Iran Blames US as Interim Deal Collapses, Warns of Reprisal

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday that the United States is responsible for the collapse of an interim deal meant to end the war between Iran and the US and Israel, while also urging both sides to return to the table and "conclude it," according to comments broadcast by Iranian state outlet Press TV and reported by Al Jazeera on October 24, 2026.

The remarks landed as fears mount that fighting could resume within days. US President Donald Trump said Friday he "may do another little Epic Fury," the codename for the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began February 28, 2026, Al Jazeera reported, citing the president's own comments.

What did Pezeshkian say about the failed deal?

Pezeshkian placed blame for the deal's unraveling on Washington but did not rule out renewed talks, saying both countries should "conclude" the interim arrangement rather than abandon it, per the Press TV broadcast cited by Al Jazeera. The Iranian leader's dual message — accusation paired with an opening for diplomacy — mirrors a pattern other Iranian officials struck the same day: harden the rhetoric on retaliation while leaving a door open to negotiation.

Why does Iran warn of a response 'several times greater'?

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said any limited US or Israeli strike would trigger a retaliation "several times greater," according to comments carried by the semi-official Fars News Agency and relayed by Al Jazeera. Separately, Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ali Abdollahi said Saturday the US military would not be permitted in the Gulf "under any circumstances and at any time," adding that Trump could only "dream" of American forces entering the waterway — a dream, he said, Trump "would take to the grave." Those comments, also reported by Al Jazeera, point to the Strait of Hormuz as a likely flashpoint if hostilities resume; Al Jazeera's own coverage has separately tracked disputed claims over whether Iran captured a US submarine near the strait.

What could happen this weekend?

Trump's "Epic Fury" comment Friday is the clearest signal yet that Washington is weighing a resumption of strikes that began in late February, per Al Jazeera's reporting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he remains committed to overthrowing Iran's government, the outlet reported, a goal that goes beyond the stated aims of the interim deal and complicates any near-term off-ramp. Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani wrote in a memo Saturday that Tehran "will not wait for permission to defend itself," adding: "Our position is clear: we do not flee from dialogue for peace, and we do not hesitate in defending the country. Those who harbour the illusion of destroying Iran must correct their calculations."

How are elections in Israel and the US shaping the standoff?

Both leaders pressing the hardest lines face voters within days. Israelis go to the polls Tuesday, October 27, to choose their next government, according to Al Jazeera. Trump's Republican Party faces midterm elections November 3, with Democrats positioned to potentially win control of both the House and Senate — an outcome Al Jazeera's reporting frames as a significant setback for Trump, who has more than two years remaining in his term. The overlap of two national elections with an active war footing raises the stakes on timing: a strike before either vote would land in the middle of campaigns in both countries.

What is the IRGC, and what does 'Epic Fury' mean?

The IRGC, or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is Iran's primary military and security force, distinct from its regular armed forces, and the body that issued Saturday's warning of a "several times greater" response. Press TV is Iran's state-run English-language broadcaster, which aired Pezeshkian's comments. Fars News Agency is a semi-official Iranian outlet closely tied to the IRGC that carried the Guard's retaliation warning. "Epic Fury" is the codename Trump used for the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began February 28, 2026, and which he suggested Friday could resume, according to Al Jazeera's reporting.

What else is Tehran focused on right now?

Away from the war footing, Iranian judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei met Saturday with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to discuss anti-corruption efforts and compensation for Iranians affected by the US-Israeli war, Al Jazeera reported. The meeting underscores that Tehran is simultaneously managing domestic accountability questions tied to the conflict's economic toll even as its military and diplomatic posture toward Washington remains unresolved.

None of the figures in Iranian officials' public statements — including the scale of any promised retaliation — were quantified in the sources reviewed; Al Jazeera's report characterizes the IRGC's warning only in the qualitative terms quoted above.

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