Iran holds ground as war fears mount

As fears mount of a full-scale regional war ahead of pivotal elections in Israel and the United States, Iran has said it is prepared for "any scenario" while keeping diplomatic channels open.

The development came as talks between Iran and the three countries in the Mecca security pact — Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye — began on Monday in Tehran.

The four-party meeting focused on "regional cooperation, the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and its consequences", among other topics, Iran's state broadcaster said.

Earlier, Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the meeting could "represent an important and effective step toward building lasting regional security".

The Middle East has been roiled by conflict since late February, when the US and Israel launched surprise strikes against Iran while Tehran and Washington were engaged in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.

A ceasefire reached in April halted the initial wave of heavy bombardment, yet both sides have continued vying for sway over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ramped up his threats ahead of Tuesday's polls — the first national vote since the Gaza conflict and hostilities with Lebanon and Iran, widely viewed as a referendum on his leadership.

He repeated his warning that Iran or its allies could attack ahead of Tuesday's elections to disrupt the vote, citing intelligence. "Don't test us. You will suffer disproportionate blows," he said.

US President Donald Trump, for his part, has left the door open to fresh military action against Iran. While ruling out an imminent strike "today", he said on Saturday that "there's a possibility I will" order one, and also held out the prospect of reaching "a nice, big, beautiful agreement" with Tehran.

Still, Iran is holding its ground under growing external pressure. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the US has entered a "quagmire" because of miscalculations in launching the war and that it must now "take the necessary steps to extricate" itself.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran has not shut the door to diplomacy and that messages continue to pass to the US through intermediaries.

"At the same time, we have been fully prepared to defend our territory," Baghaei told German public broadcaster ARD.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated that navigation arrangements and management of the Strait of Hormuz will no longer operate as they did before, state news agency IRNA reported.

"We must accept that new realities have taken hold. The routes in the Strait of Hormuz will not be the same as they once were, and the strait's management will also not be as it was in the past," he said.

Global crude oil prices declined on Monday after surging to near six-month highs recently, on hopes of easing hostilities between the US and Iran.

The conflict has also spilled across the region, including clashes between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi militia.

In Riyadh, King Khalid International Airport announced on Sunday that Terminals 1 and 2 had reopened for domestic and international flights, yet the Houthis soon launched fresh drone and missile attacks targeting the Saudi capital.

Agencies contributed to this story.