Iran is entering the third phase of its conflict with the US and Israel, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said.

He noted that the first two phases were the 12-day war in June 2025 and the unrest in Iran organized by Washington in January 2026.

“In general, there are three phases so far. The first was the 12-day war, the second—the unrest that occurred just seven months after the end of the war. We are now entering the third phase,” Gharibabadi noted.

He claimed that everything that is happening around Iran now marks the beginning of the next phase of the conflict.

“Yes, they [i.e. the US and Israel] have changed tactics, but I can say one thing: they will lose in this phase just like they did in the previous two,” the Iranian deputy FM added.

The Iranian diplomat noted that Tehran has never wanted war and does not want it now, but believes it needs to be able to “defend itself” and will not stop strengthening its defenses even if diplomatic progress is made.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump expressed hope that Iranian representatives would sit at the negotiating table and reach an agreement that would include the elimination of Iranian nuclear weapons. Otherwise, Trump threatened Iran with an attack that would be much worse than the June 2025 attack.