Iran is increasing missile range as conflict with US, Israel drags on — SkimNews
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- Iran's Army said it is extending missile range, citing lessons from its recent war with the US and Israel, after US forces repositioned as far as 1,000 km from the Iranian coast.
- Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, Iran's Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator, said the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until seven conditions from the June Islamabad memorandum of understanding are fulfilled.
- Iran proposed a seven-day timeline at the UN General Assembly to resume normal maritime traffic through the Strait if its conditions are met; Washington responded last week through Qatari intermediaries.
- Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, denied reports that Iran offered the IAEA access to nuclear facilities in exchange for sanctions relief, saying the Americans' positions on the nuclear issue are unchanged from before.
- Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned ambassadors in Tehran that if the US returns to large-scale military action, Iran is 'more prepared than before' and will take 'whatever action is necessary to defend ourselves.'
Why it matters: Iran is escalating on three fronts at once — extending missile range, keeping the Strait of Hormuz sealed, and rejecting a fresh nuclear bargain — while engaging diplomatically only through Qatar. The seven conditions tied to the June memorandum include nuclear provisions Iran says Washington has refused to move on, meaning the diplomatic window depends on positions Tehran has already called unchanged.
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