May 1: Iran's resilience pays off with major strategic gains as US pressure tactics fail

By Press TV Website Staff

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, hailed the Iranian nation’s emphatic victory on the battlefield and vowed that the same resolve will now defeat America’s cultural and economic warfare as well.

Tehran strongly rejected Washington’s attempts to sanitise its war crimes, with the foreign ministry condemning the US war secretary’s attempt to label the Minab school massacre as an “unfortunate incident.”

Foreign Minister Abbas Abbas Araghchi reiterated that Iran remains open to talks only if the United States abandons threats and excessive demands to end the war permanently. 

On the military front, Washington suffered a symbolic blow as the USS Gerald R. Ford, its largest and most expensive carrier, was forced to withdraw from West Asia after a record deployment marked by rising vulnerabilities.

Meanwhile, political fallout in the US and Europe intensified as polls showed a majority of Americans view the war against Iran as a mistake. European leaders openly criticised Washington’s strategy, and US President Donald Trump faced increasing scrutiny over a weapons deal tied to his own sons.

Oil markets surged as the crisis deepened, reflecting global recognition that Iran now holds decisive leverage in both the region and the Strait of Hormuz.

Key developments on day 63 of the war, the twenty-fourth day of the ceasefire:​​​​​​

• Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, vowed that the Iranian nation will defeat the enemy in the cultural and economic spheres as well, following the victory on the military battlefield.
• Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the US war secretary’s attempt to portray the massacre of children in Minab as an “unfortunate incident,” reiterating that the missile strike was “a heinous war crime.” On Wednesday, Pete Hegseth described the deadly strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School as an “unfortunate incident”. 
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi said that the Islamic Republic is open to diplomacy in case the United States drops its excessive demands and stops using the language of threats against the country.
• Iranian Foreign Minister called on the international community to hold the United States and the Israeli regime accountable for their 40-day war of aggression against Iran, warning that the resulting insecurity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is a direct consequence of their illegal actions.
• Araghchi said the Pentagon is lying about the financial toll of the war on Iran, noting that the aggression has directly cost the United States $100 billion so far, four times the official estimate.
• Iran said shifting positions of the US negotiators, lack of coordination in decision-making in Washington, and total collapse of trust between the parties are among the main obstacles to reaching an agreement to end the war.
• Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, said that the United States cannot impose its demands at the negotiating table after failing to achieve its objectives through military aggression and threats.
• Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson rejected Washington's justification for the aggression it launched against the Iranian nation, dismissing US claims of self-defence. Questioning the premise of Washington's military actions, Baghaei asked, "'Self-defence' against what? Was there any 'armed attack' by Iran to justify 'self-defence'?"
• The Iranian ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, renewed the call for holding to account the Arab states complicit in the unjustified US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic.
• The USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest and most expensive aircraft carrier ever built by the United States, has been forced to withdraw from West Asia after 309 days of continuous deployment in support of the unprovoked US terrorist war against Iran.
• The US Air Force signed a weapons procurement deal with Powerus, a company backed by the sons of Donald Trump, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr, raising conflict-of-interest concerns in the country’s political circles, Bloomberg reported.
• A recent poll found that most Americans believe that using the US military against Iran was a mistake and that the war will make things worse in the United States. According to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted using Ipsos’ Knowledge Panel, about 6 in 10 Americans say that it was a mistake to go to war against Iran.
• Trump said he may pull US troops from Italy and Spain due to their opposition to the war on Iran, a day after proposing a similar reduction in Germany.
• For War Powers Resolution purposes, the US war on Iran, which began in February, has now “terminated,” a senior US administration official said.
• Germany’s vice chancellor, Lars Klingbeil, criticized Trump over his anti-Iran strategy and called on him to end the war of aggression as quickly as possible.
• Israel admitted its failure to counter Hezbollah’s drones, stressing that the aircraft has become one of the most significant challenges facing invading Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
• Oil prices soared to four-year highs, with the US crude benchmark Brent for June delivery spiking more than 7 percent to $126.41, while West Texas Intermediate was up 3.4 percent to $110.31, before later paring gains.

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