Iran says US must act to avoid war after 'strong, rational' response

Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that "the ball is in the United States' court to avoid war."

Ghalibaf added, according to Reuters, that while the Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready for battle with its finger on the trigger, it has also delivered a strong and rational response to the American side.

Separately, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday that Iran "will not accept excessive US demands," and noted that the two countries remain far from reaching an agreement to end the conflict.

According to the agency, the official stressed that Iran "is ready to respond forcefully to US strikes, whether in the region or beyond," following a US attack early Tuesday on Qeshm Island in the south.