Washington left the final terms to Trump, who said only the manner of victory over Iran — pleasant or unpleasant — remained, alongside reports he had postponed a ready Israeli strike until after elections.

Netanyahu declared toppling the Islamic Republic the only way to end the threat, saying he had tasked the army and security bodies and pointing to Mojtaba Khamenei as continuing his father's path.

Tehran replied the country was truly at war and far from peace, with Araghchi and Rezaei conditioning talks on US trust-building steps and Pezeshkian ruling out dialogue under threats, as Putin offered mediation after meeting Witkoff.

Pressure tightened as Iraq temporarily closed Chazabeh and reviewed other crossings under reported US request and Washington blacklisted shadow-fleet networks, while competing Hormuz closure claims persisted alongside threats to cut subsea cables.