Lead
Iranian officials have declared that the conflict with the United States and Israel is not over, with the armed forces maintaining a defensive posture and remaining on high alert. The statements, reported by Russian state news agency TASS and India's The Hindu, come in the aftermath of a 40-day war that, according to Iranian sources, killed 3,375 people.
Coverage Comparison
Reporting on the conflict has been dominated by TASS, which has carried a series of statements from Iranian officials and military spokesmen. The Hindu, an Indian newspaper, has also covered the diplomatic dimension, including Iran's characterization of itself as a "superpower" after defending against two nuclear-armed adversaries. The sources consistently cite the same core timeline: US and Israeli strikes began on February 28, a two-week ceasefire was announced by US President Donald Trump on April 7, and talks in Islamabad on April 11 failed to yield a long-term settlement.
Key Claims
Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that the war is not over. Army Spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said on state television that "we do not consider the war to be over" and that current conditions are "still considered wartime." Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh echoed that sentiment, saying "it's hard to say that the war is over" and that Iran cannot risk its national security. He added that Iran will continue to "remain on high alert" and take a defensive position on various fronts.
The United States has not achieved its objectives and suffered defeat in the war, Akraminia told the IRNA news agency. He said US actions had only "strengthened unity and solidarity inside Iran."
Iranian officials have also detailed the human and material costs of the conflict. The Red Crescent Society said its rescuers pulled 7,215 people alive from the rubble of destroyed buildings, conducting over 6,000 rescue operations. Deputy Energy Minister Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi said more than 2,000 Iranian energy facilities were targeted during the war, though power outages were restored in less than an hour.
Iran continued producing unmanned aerial vehicles during the war, according to Akraminia, who said some drones were produced and used the next day.
On the diplomatic front, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Iran is reviewing a US response to its 40-point peace proposal and will submit its reply through Pakistani mediators. He described Iran as a superpower, saying that a nation that defended its sovereignty against two nuclear-armed regimes should be considered one. He also said Iran's ties with India are "flourishing."
Army Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Amir Hatami said Iran will "fight shoulder to shoulder to the last drop of blood" and win a final decisive victory.
Perspectives
Iranian officials frame the conflict as a defensive war against US and Israeli aggression, asserting that Iran exercised its right to self-defense and did not initiate hostilities. They maintain that the war is not over and that the armed forces are prepared for new attacks, while also highlighting what they describe as failed US objectives and Iranian resilience.
A single report, attributed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview with Fox News and carried by TASS, offers a different assessment: that Iran has used up about half of its pre-war missile capability and lost production capacity and naval forces. This claim has not been independently verified and stands in contrast to Iranian statements about their military readiness and continued drone production.
Regarding the ceasefire, the sources indicate that while Trump announced a unilateral extension on April 21, Iranian state television reported that Tehran does not recognize this extension and will act in accordance with its own interests. This has not been independently confirmed by non-Iranian sources.
The conflict, which began with US and Israeli strikes on February 28, has resulted in what Iran reports as 3,375 deaths over 40 days. These figures have not been independently verified, and no casualty figures from US or Israeli sources appear in the provided reporting.