The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said on Saturday that it had lifted the restriction it imposed on itself by limiting the range of its ballistic missiles to two thousand kilometers.
The announcement indicates that Iran is seeking to develop missiles capable of reaching longer targets, with mounting fears of renewed all-out war.
Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hussein Mohebi was asked, in a press conference in Tehran, about the restriction on the range of missiles, and he said: “This restriction has been lifted for us.”
Mohebi did not say whether Iran possesses missiles with a range exceeding this limit. He merely said that it would demonstrate “these capabilities in practice,” instead of making statements.
His statement comes days after Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that “any type and level of threat” from the United States or Israel will be met with a response “without geographical restrictions.”
There is no information available about Iran's possession of missiles with a range exceeding two thousand kilometers, according to the Associated Press. This range puts parts of Greece and the Balkans within range of Iranian missiles.
But American officials said that Iranian space program technologies could be adapted to build intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The confrontation between Washington and Tehran fluctuates between diplomatic efforts to resume negotiations and contain the escalation, and continued American pressure to restrict Iran’s capabilities and military supplies, amid mixed indications regarding the chances of reaching a settlement or returning to military confrontation.
In this context, US Vice President J.D. Vance personally participated, during the past two weeks, in indirect talks with Iran, with the aim of reaching a new ceasefire agreement and resuming negotiations, according to what the Axios website revealed, citing two sources familiar with these contacts.
According to Axios, Vance's intense involvement in these talks reflects his assumption of responsibility for getting the United States out of the war, which he held responsible for the significant loss suffered by Republicans in this week's elections. This engagement also raises the level of the latest round of indirect talks to the highest levels within the US administration.
American officials and regional sources told the site that US President Donald Trump is ready, at the present time, to give diplomatic efforts a chance to move forward, and wants to know whether it is possible to reach any type of agreement.
Almost daily communications
As part of these efforts, sources with direct knowledge of the talks revealed to Axios that Vance is in almost daily contact with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, and other mediators, to discuss negotiations with Iran. US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's advisor and son-in-law, are also participating in these efforts.
The sources added that Vance and the Qatari and Pakistani mediators discussed the possibility of holding a technical meeting at the expert level between the United States and Iran in the coming days, but this meeting has not yet been held.
This move comes in the context of a role that Vance previously played in the Iranian file. He was one of the most skeptical voices about the war within Trump's inner circle before it broke out at the end of February, and instead called for a diplomatic solution.
In this context, Vance led the American negotiating team at the April summit on Iran, held in Islamabad, and also personally participated in the talks that led to the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran in June. Then he led the American delegation in a round of direct talks with Iran in Switzerland, which ended with an Iranian pledge to invite UN inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities. However, this path did not last long; The Iranian Revolutionary Guard resumed its attacks on ships shortly thereafter, leading to the collapse of the memorandum of understanding.
Slow progress in mediation
One of the most important diplomatic moves was the letter that Vance sent, two weeks ago, to the Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, in which he proposed resuming direct negotiations. According to the website, Iranian officials said that Vance's message contributed to creating positive momentum towards resuming negotiations.
Despite this momentum, mediation efforts still face challenges. According to Axios, sources participating in it indicated that the talks had made progress, but at a very slow pace.
In an indication of the continuation of diplomatic efforts, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim Al Thani said, “Over the past two weeks, we have worked with colleagues in the American administration who have a real intention to find a way to contain the situation and reduce the escalation. Thanks to them, and thanks to the wise voices in Tehran, we were able to prevent the situation from getting out of control.”
He added that talks with the Trump administration continued after the midterm elections, although not at the same pace as in the days before them, “because they have other issues.”
In the same context, the Qatari Prime Minister confirmed on Saturday that the mediators of the State of Qatar are working in the meantime to prevent a new wave of escalation in the region, warning that the region cannot tolerate further escalation. This came in a speech he delivered before the Oxford Union in Britain.
"Iron Gate"
In parallel with the diplomatic track, Washington continues its moves aimed at increasing pressure on Tehran. After months of imposing an ongoing naval blockade on Iran, the US military decided to form a task force to reinforce Washington's efforts to restrict Tehran's transfer of advanced weapons systems and other sanctioned materials across its land borders and the Caspian Sea.
In this context, the US Central Command (Centcom) announced the formation of a task force called “Iron Gate,” to be based in Tampa, Florida, and to coordinate its work with other government agencies. Besides weapons transfers, the task force will also focus on dual-use items and illicit sources of income.
General Brad Cooper, commander of Central Command, said in a statement: “Enhancing Central Command’s cooperation with partners across US agencies will further limit Iran’s ability to finance terrorism, rebuild weapons factories, and rebuild its military capabilities.”
In assessing the results of these pressures, US Central Command said that the naval blockade it imposed prevented Iran from exporting more than $25 billion worth of crude oil.
Iranian Army: We have become stronger
On the other hand, Tehran asserts that it did not emerge from the confrontation weak. The Iranian army confirmed that it has become “stronger” and more prepared than it was when the United States and Israel began the war against Iran in February, according to what local media reported on Saturday.
The Iranian IRNA news agency quoted the army spokesman, Mohammad Akrami Nia, as saying that the Iranian forces “are on high alert, and are stronger than they were at the beginning of the war, thanks to their experience in direct confrontation with America and the Zionist entity,” adding that they have “gained greater motivation, commitment, and self-confidence.”
