TEHRAN - Iran said it will not consider a ceasefire while military attacks by the United States and Israel continue, as the conflict entering its second week expands to target commercial shipping and financial hubs across the Gulf.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters Monday that Tehran's focus remains on defending the country and delivering a "crushing response" to the enemy. His remarks came after the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian territory on Feb. 28.
"We are in the eleventh day of military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime. We did not start this war," Baghaei said at a news conference . "Military aggression is ongoing and therefore in this situation there is little place to talk about anything other than defense."
The comments follow reports that Iran has rejected at least two ceasefire proposals delivered by US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. According to The Guardian, Iran's leadership believes it holds a strategic advantage and is demanding a permanent agreement that includes a US pledge never to attack again .
"We absolutely do not pursue a ceasefire," Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on social media. "Let the enemy know: no matter what they do, there will be proportional and immediate retaliation" .
Military Campaign Widens to Gulf States
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday it will continue striking Israeli and US bases across the Middle East until it perceives the threat of war against Iran has ended . The IRGC claimed its 38th wave of attacks hit the US Al-Udairi base in Kuwait and naval infrastructure at Bahrain's Mina Salman port, home to the US Fifth Fleet.
Kuwait said its air defenses shot down eight Iranian drones, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting drones headed toward the Shaybah oil field and destroying ballistic missiles targeting Prince Sultan Air Base, a facility jointly operated by Saudi and US forces .
In a sharp escalation, Iranian drones struck near Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest travel hubs, wounding four people. Flights continued operating, the Dubai Media Office said .
Iran's military command has issued a new warning that it will target "economic centers and banks belonging to the United States and the Zionist regime" across West Asia . The Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters urged civilians to stay at least 1,000 meters away from such facilities . The threat puts financial hubs in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain at heightened risk.
Energy Shipments Disrupted
The conflict has effectively halted most cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime corridor through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes. A projectile struck a container ship off the coast of Oman in the strait, setting it ablaze and forcing most of the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military said .
An IRGC spokesman warned that Iranian forces "will not allow the export of a single litre of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice" . The threat specifically targets the strategic waterway, with the IRGC adding: "It is we who will determine the end of the war."
Trump responded on Truth Social, warning that any interference with oil exports would lead to strikes "twenty times harder" than those already seen .
Regional Fallout
Iran denied launching drones toward Azerbaijan, Turkey, or Cyprus after multiple incidents raised tensions with neighboring states. Baghaei said Iran's armed forces were investigating reported explosions in Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave and accused Israel of seeking to disrupt relations between Muslim countries .
Turkey reported that NATO air defenses intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile that entered Turkish airspace last week. Ankara protested to Tehran and deployed F-16 fighter jets to Northern Cyprus as a precaution .
Cyprus reported a drone strike on a British base on the island, which officials said was likely launched by Iran-backed Hezbollah rather than directly from Iran .
The IRGC claimed its forces targeted a satellite communications center south of Tel Aviv and military sites in Beer Yaakov, West Jerusalem, and Haifa with Khorramshahr missiles. It also reported attacks on US positions in Erbil, Iraq .
Civilian Casualties Reported
State media reported that US and Israeli strikes hit a Bank Sepah building in Tehran around 1 a.m. local time Wednesday, killing an unspecified number of employees on the overnight shift . The attack prompted Iran's military command to issue its threat against regional financial institutions.
Israeli strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon killed 14 people, and a Red Cross worker died Wednesday of wounds sustained Monday when his team was hit while rescuing people from an earlier attack, officials said . More than 500 people have been killed in Lebanon since the latest round of fighting began, according to published reports.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled that diplomacy is no longer an option, stating, "I don't think talking with Americans anymore would be on our agenda" . Iran maintains its actions are legitimate self-defense under international law, while the US and Israel say their strikes are necessary to prevent threats from Iran's nuclear and missile programs.