Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday directed the Iranian armed forces to be prepared to respond to any attacks on the country “with an immediate, impactful, and geographically unrestricted response,” the state-affiliated Iranian Students’ News Agency and Reuters reported separately.
He further stated that Iran’s forces were in high readiness along the Gulf coast, in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, and on Iran’s northwestern and southeastern borders.
The statement was posted on Khamenei’s official Telegram account, according to Reuters.
The directive comes on the backdrop of increased tensions across the Middle East, with reports saying a military confrontation between the United States and Iran could restart after the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump played down a Wall Street Journal report about a Vice President JD Vance’s letter sent earlier in the week to the Iranian regime in a bid to resume negotiations to end the conflict.
Trump told a reporter that he did not direct Vance to send the letter, saying that the Iranians “need help with medical supplies and various things. He [Vance] asked me what I thought and I said if you want to do that that’s okay. Basically, it’s getting supplies in to help people that are not well.”
REPORTER: “Did you direct Vance to talk to Iran to start peace negotiations?”
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) October 28, 2026
TRUMP: “No. Iran needs help with medical supplies. Basically, it's getting supplies in to help people that are not well.” pic.twitter.com/ouLFRYCZQN
According to the Journal, the vice president delivered the letter to Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s top security body, the Supreme National Security Council, who is considered one of Tehran’s most hard-line leaders.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with the Qatari-based Al Jazeera network that Vance’s letter was being examined by Iran’s leadership, describing it as a “positive step.”
However, he said that at this stage there were no plans to meet with U.S. officials, adding that an Iranian delegation has traveled to Doha to discuss Iran’s proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Reuters, citing a source with information on the matter, talks with the Qatari mediators on Saturday followed more than 12 hours of discussions the previous day.
The objective of the talks is to avert the outbreak of war, the source added.
Huckabee: Only Trump, Netanyahu know if strikes on Iran coming
Also on Wednesday, Trump said that Iran’s missile arsenal had been reduced and electricity shortages were hampering its drone production, while reiterating his pledge that Tehran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.
“Their missiles are still there, but much less. Their drones that they make, they’re having a hard time because they can’t get electricity any more,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Ohio.
“Iran will never, ever have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Wednesday that only two men know whether further military action against Iran is coming.
“There are only two people on the planet who actually know if something is going to happen and if so, when,” Huckabee told Newsmax’s “Wake Up America.” “And that’s President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu right now.”
