[UPDATE-Day #34] Trump Says Iran Faces Deal Deadline as Tehran Refuses Talks ‘Under Pressure’

Day #34 – In Brief

• Two explosions struck southern Iran on Saturday, one in Bandar Abbas and the other in Ahvaz, killing several people. The Revolutionary Guard denied reports that its Navy chief was killed in the blasts, while Israel rejected any involvement.
• Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said recent developments showed Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and European countries were seeking to provoke unrest and sow division.
• The Kayhan newspaper, overseen by a representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, called for the expulsion of European Union ambassadors from Iran in response to the EU’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization.
• Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani contacted officials in regional countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, last week and warned that Tehran would target US embassies in those countries if the United States attacks Iran, an Iranian government source told Iran International.
• US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had directly communicated a deadline to Iran for reaching a deal with the United States.
• Decision-making circles in the United States and Israel have moved past diplomacy with Iran, viewing military action as effectively decided, with only the timing still under debate, a Western source familiar with coordination talks told Iran International.
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday Tehran would not negotiate with the United States under threats or preconditions and warned that Iran was ready to respond forcefully if attacked.

This is a developing story that HO1 will continue to monitor.
Check back for updates.

[UPDATE] Trump says US not disclosing plans regarding Iran to its Gulf allies