Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that no force can make the Iranian nation surrender, responding to a U.S. call for concessions in peace talks. In a post on social media platform X, he said followers of the Shia ideology cannot be forced to bow down. Pezeshkian also mentioned speaking with Iraq’s prime minister and urged the United States to remove military threats from the Middle East.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced a new security plan around the Strait of Hormuz aimed at preventing weapons and supplies from reaching U.S. military bases through the area. The strait has become a central point of contention in ongoing U.S.-Iran discussions intended to halt regional conflict.

The statements highlight Iran’s firm stance against external pressure and its intent to assert control over strategic waterways, which remain a key obstacle in current diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington.