Iran is preparing for the possibility of renewed large-scale fighting with the United States as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict show little progress, according to a source in Tehran.
The warning comes after several meetings between Iranian and US officials in New York failed to produce a breakthrough. With Washington assessing its next steps and Tehran maintaining that it is prepared to fight, the possibility of a fresh escalation remains.
Iran prepares for possible renewed conflict
The Tehran source said Iran was aware that the US had not ruled out military action and claimed that Iranian forces were preparing for another major confrontation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also indicated that Tehran would continue fighting even if the conflict resulted in what he described as an “apocalyptic” war.
At the same time, both sides have continued to signal that military preparations are being made alongside stalled diplomatic efforts.
US moves additional carrier group
The US military presence in the region has also increased. A US official told The National that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group was heading towards the US Central Command area, which covers the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Axios reported that senior Trump administration officials held a closed-door meeting at Camp David to discuss the Iran conflict and Washington’s response to the Iran-backed Houthi offensive in Yemen. Vice President JD Vance reportedly chaired the meeting.
Yemen front adds to regional tensions
The situation in Yemen has also become part of the wider regional confrontation. Houthi rebels have launched attacks around Taiz in southwestern Yemen after taking control of parts of the western coast. The fighting has put pressure on government forces and complicated efforts to retake territory overlooking the Bab Al Mandeb strait.
The rebels have not so far disrupted shipping through the waterway. However, the Tehran source suggested that Iran-backed forces could potentially take action there in the future.
Iran has maintained that its own security is closely linked to the security situation across the wider region.
Iran offers proposal on Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz remains a central obstacle in negotiations between Washington and Tehran. During the latest discussions in New York, Araghchi said Iran had presented the US, through Qatar, with a seven-day proposal for resolving the dispute. Under the plan, the waterway would be reopened on the sixth day if the agreed conditions were fulfilled.
Washington subsequently submitted a counterproposal, but Tehran has yet to respond and appears unlikely to accept it in its current form. The central disagreement concerns the sequence of steps. Iran wants Washington to take concrete measures before it fully restores shipping through the strait, while the US wants Tehran to reopen the waterway first.
Iran proposes transfer of enriched uranium
Iran has also reportedly put forward a proposal concerning its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 per cent. According to sources in Tehran, the plan would involve initially diluting the material before transferring it outside Iran to a third party through arrangements recognised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The proposal goes further than Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s earlier public comments about diluting the stockpile and allowing the process to be verified. The mechanism reportedly draws on ideas discussed during previous negotiations mediated by Oman before the war began on February 28.
Diplomacy remains uncertain
The Iranian proposal was reportedly part of the broader roadmap presented to Washington during the New York talks.
Despite the continuing diplomatic channel, the Tehran source said assessments inside Iran suggest that fighting could resume. “The door to diplomacy remains open and has not been closed,” the source said, while claiming that Iran was nevertheless preparing for another phase of the war.
