Tehran has "not backed down one iota" from demands: Iran's judiciary chief

Tehran [Iran], April 20 (ANI): Iran's Judiciary Chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, has asserted that the Iranian nation stood as a united front against recent external aggression, claiming that the country has not made any concessions regarding its core demands, according to the Iranian state media ISNA.
Ejei highlighted the unprecedented nature of national solidarity during the conflict, stating that the entire country acted in unison to repel "aggressors."
"The whole of Iran, and all different segments of society, became a unified field to confront, fight and defend against these aggressors, which we either don't have the like of in our country's history or at least we don't have in many of these incidents," he noted.
Connecting this internal resolve to the divine, the Judiciary Chief told ISNA that this coordination against global powers was achieved "with the help and power of God and truly with the grace and favor of the Lord," as various segments of society resisted "against the most arrogant of the current arrogant ones" throughout the duration of the war.
Ejei further claimed that those who initiated the aggression are now seeking a diplomatic way out, while Tehran remains steadfast.
"Today they are proud and they [the aggressors] raised their hands, they are requesting negotiation," he remarked, adding that "Islamic Iran has not stepped back an inch from its demands."
Reiterating the country's adherence to its established framework, Ejei emphasised that all decisions regarding the conflict remain under the strict authority of the top leadership.
He stated that the general policies are being implemented as dictated by the "general policies of war and peace, which are exclusive to the Supreme Leader of the Revolution today, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei."
The senior official maintained that there would be no deviation from these state principles in any upcoming engagements. According to ISNA, he underscored that the "Islamic Republic has not backed down one iota and will not," signifying a firm stance as the two-week ceasefire window nears its conclusion.
These remarks come at a critical juncture as the current ceasefire is set to end on April 22. The first round of negotiations ended in a gridlock between Tehran and Washington over the energy artery, the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran's nuclear capacities.
With the ceasefire set to lapse on Wednesday, the Islamabad talks represent the final diplomatic off-ramp before a potential escalation into full-scale infrastructure warfare.
While the US maintains that a "fair and reasonable" deal is on the table, the Iranian leadership's refusal to negotiate under the "shadow of a blockade" suggests that the 21-hour marathon of the previous round may have been just a prelude to a much darker confrontation. (ANI)