Iran state broadcaster says transit through Strait of Hormuz halted

Mahmoud Nabavian, a member of Iran's parliament, criticized the reported draft agreement between Washington and Tehran, describing it as similar to the 2015 nuclear deal and a "pure loss."

"Talking about victory with this vague and damaging text is completely wrong," Nabavian said.

Criticizing provisions he said were included in the draft, Nabavian said the Islamic Republic would not have the right to produce nuclear weapons under the agreement. The fate of Iran's enriched material, he said, would depend on US approval and that all issues related to the nuclear program would be subject to negotiations.

"This agreement, like the JCPOA, is a pure loss and stems from a change in the calculations of officials," he said.

Mohammad Nabi Mousavifard, the Friday prayer leader in Ahvaz, said any retreat in the face of what he called the "US and Israeli front" is "forbidden and unacceptable."

Speaking during Friday prayers, Mousavifard said the country's security is not limited to military capabilities but stems from a combination of military strength, soft power, media savvy and economic resilience.

The "enemy", he added, is seeking to weaken society's resilience through rumor-mongering and efforts to deepen divisions.

Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini Hamedani, the Friday prayer leader in Karaj, said any country that places its territory or facilities at the disposal of what he called the Islamic Republic's "enemies" should understand that its infrastructure and interests would become legitimate targets for Iran's armed forces.

"Iranian nation" would never extend friendship or allegiance to the "killers of its commanders and martyrs," he added.

"Negotiations conducted under threat amount to accepting fear and retreating before the enemy and would bring no benefit to the country," said the cleric.

Iran's state news agency IRNA reported that the current draft agreement with the United States is defined by seven broad principles and that Iran's missile capabilities would not be part of the agenda during proposed negotiations.

According to IRNA, only three issues would be addressed during the 60-day talks following the signing of the memorandum: the continuation of Iran's nuclear program, the lifting of US sanctions and a mechanism for compensation.

IRNA also reported that no agreement on the nuclear file has been reached within the current memorandum.

Alireza Arafi, the Friday prayer leader in Qom, said expanding the scope of confrontation and targeting US interests in different locations forms part of the Islamic Republic's new strategy, threatening that additional capabilities would be activated if what he called "hostile behavior" continues.

Arafi said on Friday that the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab, the Red Sea and any location where US interests are present should be considered part of the arena of confrontation.

The Islamic Republic, he said, had, for the first time in contemporary history, confronted what he described as "the world's most powerful military force" and had not only endured the encounter but also broken the fear surrounding such a confrontation.