Despite efforts to reach new ceasefire deal, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the Islamic republic is now engaged in a “full-scale war” with the US.By World Israel News StaffIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that his country was engaged in a “full-scale war” with the United States, even as regional mediators pressed Tehran and Washington to accept a 10-day ceasefire aimed at reopening diplomatic negotiations.“The reality is that today the Islamic Republic of Iran is engaged in a full-scale war,” Pezeshkian said, warning Iranians that the country would have to endure the consequences of continued resistance.His statement came as the United States moved additional military aircraft toward the Middle East and considered expanding its campaign beyond the nightly strikes carried out since fighting resumed on July 7.US attacks during the latest phase of the war have concentrated primarily on Iranian command centers, coastal radar installations, missile and drone launch sites, air-defense systems and military assets connected to the Strait of Hormuz.American forces have largely avoided renewed attacks near Tehran and against Iran’s nuclear facilities. That restraint could end if President Donald Trump orders a broader campaign, according to US officials.Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Washington of using diplomatic language while preparing for further escalation.Ghalibaf said the arrival of additional American military equipment demonstrated that the United States could not be trusted to halt the fighting. He added that Iran had learned to recognize what he characterized as deceptive American tactics and was preparing accordingly.A US official separately told the Washington Post that the Trump administration was planning for the possibility of a “wider war” and was sending more military aircraft to the region.The preparations reportedly include fighter jets and aerial-refueling tankers capable of supporting a longer and more intensive bombing campaign. Some refueling aircraft are being repositioned to Israeli military bases, where they would be less exposed than at installations in Gulf states if Iran intensified its retaliatory attacks.President Trump is expected to decide within days whether to authorize a return to full-scale operations. Senior officials have said such a campaign would be substantially more extensive than the recent strikes and could again involve Israel.Any major escalation, however, could be complicated by shortages of American air-defense interceptors and long-range precision weapons.One official warned that US forces might not possess sufficient stockpiles to sustain a significantly expanded campaign while continuing to protect American bases, regional allies and commercial shipping from Iranian missiles and drones.The Pentagon has also had to contend with damage suffered during earlier phases of the conflict, as well as growing casualties among American military personnel.The Defense Department on Monday identified two soldiers killed in Jordan the previous week as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas.Their deaths brought the number of American service members killed since hostilities resumed to three. Nearly 100 others have reportedly been injured, although the Pentagon has said most of those wounds were minor and that many of the personnel had returned to duty.Despite the military preparations, Iranian officials confirmed that indirect diplomatic communications with Washington remained active.Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had received ideas and messages through intermediaries in recent days. He rejected the argument that Iran had to choose between negotiations and military resistance, saying diplomacy and warfare could both be used to advance national interests.A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had presented Tehran with a proposal for a 10-day ceasefire.Under the proposal, the United States and Iran would temporarily halt attacks while negotiators explored whether they could revive the interim agreement reached in June.Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan and Oman have been involved in the effort. The proposed framework reportedly grew out of discussions held in Muscat and would seek to create enough time to negotiate a longer-term settlement.The earlier memorandum called for a 60-day ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations over a final agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program and the wider conflict.The post Iran’s president declares ‘full-scale war’ on US after latest strikes appeared first on World Israel News.