Iranian official says the policy of negotiating during war is over

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported on July 18, 2026, that Mohsen Rezaee, described as a senior Iranian military adviser, said Iran’s approach of holding negotiations while under wartime attack had ended. The outlet’s short newsfeed item said Rezaee warned that continued US bombing of Iran would lead Tehran to expand its response into a full-scale war.

According to Al Jazeera, Rezaee said Iran has so far kept its retaliatory actions limited, but cautioned that this restraint would not continue indefinitely. The report did not provide further details on the alleged US strikes, the locations involved, casualty figures, the specific retaliation already carried out, or any immediate response from Washington.

The development matters because statements from senior Iranian security figures can signal how Tehran wants adversaries and regional actors to interpret its next steps during a crisis. Rezaee’s comments, as reported, point to a harder line against negotiations conducted alongside military confrontation and raise the risk of further escalation if attacks continue.

Context beyond the brief Al Jazeera item is limited. Iran and the United States have a long history of confrontation involving sanctions, regional security disputes and intermittent diplomacy. However, the article excerpt does not establish the broader sequence of events leading to Rezaee’s warning, so any assessment of the military situation or diplomatic prospects should be treated cautiously until more detailed reporting or official statements are available.