Tehran, March 13: Iranian First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref said the administration has declared the coming week as the “Week of National Unity and Solidarity for Iran,” according to the official news agency IRNA.

Aref said he had made the decision on behalf of the administration and was inspired by the first message of Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The message was released earlier in the day and highlighted the need to maintain unity among the Iranian people, Xinhua news agency reported.

Aref said, as stressed by Iran’s supreme leader, the people’s “effective presence on the scene and maintaining national unity” are the most important props for the country’s power and security.

Meanwhile, Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said Thursday that it is his country’s “inherent right” to preserve peace and security in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iravani told reporters that Iran “fully respects and remains committed to the principle of freedom of navigation under the law of the sea.”

“However, the current situation in the region, including in the Strait of Hormuz, is not the result of Iran’s lawful exercise of its right of self-defence. Rather, it is the direct consequence of the destabilizing actions of the United States in launching aggression against Iran and undermining regional security,” he said.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday called for the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, saying that “the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely continue to be used.”

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the Middle East.

New Delhi, March 12: As the United States and Israel’s military campaign against Iran and the latter’s retaliatory strikes move toward their third week, Tehran has laid down three key conditions for ending the conflict, including recognition of its rights and compensation for the damage caused during the war.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remains committed to peace but asserted that the conflict can only end if its demands are accepted by Washington and Tel Aviv.

In a statement posted on social media after holding conversations with the leaders of Russia and Pakistan, Pezeshkian said that Iran’s position on ending the war was clear.

“The only way to end this war — ignited by the Zionist regime and the US — is recognising Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression,” Pezeshkian said.

Tehran has maintained that the conflict began after attacks by the United States and Israel and has insisted that it will not agree to a ceasefire without concrete assurances regarding its security and rights.

Despite these conditions, there appears to be little indication that the fighting will end soon. US President Donald Trump said that the United States intends to continue its operations, even as the war entered its second week following joint American and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets.

Speaking at a campaign-style rally in Kentucky ahead of the November midterm elections, Trump claimed that the United States had effectively gained the upper hand in the conflict but signalled that military operations were still ongoing.

“We don’t want to leave early, do we? We got to finish the job,” Trump said.

Shortly before making that remark, the US President had also indicated that the conflict might end soon, arguing that there were limited remaining targets for American forces to strike.

“Any time I want it to end, it will end,” Trump said, adding that there was “practically nothing left” for the US military to bomb.

Meanwhile, the US military has issued warnings to Iranian civilians, advising them to avoid ports that host naval facilities, citing the risk of further strikes. Israel, on its part, has indicated that it still has a long list of potential targets inside Iran, including locations linked to ballistic missile capabilities and nuclear-related infrastructure.

The conflict has already resulted in heavy casualties and widespread disruption across the region.

According to estimates, nearly 2,000 people have been killed so far, most of them Iranians and Lebanese, as the violence has spilt over into Lebanon.

The war has also had a devastating impact on children. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than 1,100 children have either been killed or injured since the conflict began.

Global energy markets have reacted sharply to the escalation, particularly because of concerns over supply disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most crucial energy transit routes. Roughly one-fifth of the global oil supply passes through this narrow waterway.

Oil prices surged to nearly 120 US dollars per barrel earlier in the week before easing to around 90 dollars, but renewed tensions pushed prices higher again on Wednesday.

Iran has warned that the situation could worsen further, cautioning the global community to prepare for oil prices potentially climbing as high as 200 US dollars per barrel. Tehran has also indicated that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has become nearly impossible, claiming control over the strategic waterway and attacking vessels approaching the strait.

Washington, March 12: The White House pushed back sharply against critical reporting in major US newspapers on the Trump administration’s handling of the war with Iran and its impact on global energy markets, accusing the media of spreading a “fake narrative” about the objectives of the military campaign.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said reports suggesting confusion or “mixed messaging” about the goals of Operation Epic Fury were incorrect.

“The left-wing media is lying and pushing a fake narrative that there has been ‘mixed messaging’ about the objectives of Operation Epic Fury,” Leavitt wrote on social media.

Her remarks came after reports in New York Times and Wall Street Journal raised questions about the administration’s planning, its assessment of Iran’s response, and the rapid policy shifts surrounding emergency oil market intervention.

Leavitt said the administration had repeatedly laid out clear military objectives from the beginning of the campaign.

“From the beginning, President Trump and his entire team have consistently laid out clear objectives to the American people about what the US Military seeks to accomplish through these ongoing successful major combat operations,” she said.

President Donald Trump had earlier outlined the mission in public remarks.

“Our objectives are clear. First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities… Second, we’re annihilating their navy… Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon… And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders,” Trump said on March 2.

Senior defence officials have described similar operational goals.

“The mission is laser-focused: obliterate Iran’s missiles and drones and facilities that produce them, annihilate its navy and critical security infrastructure, and sever their pathway to nuclear weapons,” the US war secretary said on March 4.

Admiral Brad Cooper also described the military campaign as a major operation aimed at reducing Iran’s threat to the United States.

“Our military in the Middle East is undertaking an unprecedented operation to eliminate Iran’s ability to threaten Americans, as they’ve been doing for nearly half a century,” Cooper said.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration initially opposed a massive intervention in global oil markets, then reversed course within hours and urged allies to support an unprecedented release of emergency oil reserves.

The report said the shift reflected a change in Trump’s position as officials scrambled to stabilise markets amid fears that the conflict could disrupt energy supplies.

The New York Times separately reported that the administration may have underestimated how aggressively Iran would respond to the military campaign and the risks to global energy flows through the Persian Gulf.

The report said oil prices surged and shipping disruptions emerged as tensions escalated, forcing officials to search for ways to contain a potential economic shock.

Leavitt defended the administration’s handling of the energy situation and said the decision to release oil reserves was consistent with Trump’s earlier statements.

“President Trump previously stated that he would responsibly use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at the right time, and that time is now,” she said.