Iran designates British Royal Navy, Air Force as 'terrorist' organisations, MI6 as 'hostile group' - The Express Tribune

Iranian negotiators were in Doha on Sunday for a third consecutive day of talks with Qatari mediators aimed at pushing for a deal to end the United States-Israeli war on Iran, an official briefed on the discussions told Reuters.

The talks come amid concerns that the conflict could escalate again after the November 3 US midterm elections. President Donald Trump has said the US will not launch new attacks on Iran before the vote and that talks with Tehran have been productive, though he has not ruled out further military action thereafter.

Iran has repeatedly said it would respond to any new attacks by striking US and Israeli targets in neighbouring countries, as the eight-month-old war continues to disrupt global oil supplies and spill over across the Middle East.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement on Saturday ordering the armed forces to be prepared to respond to any attacks. The Iranian military later announced it was taking steps to improve its readiness.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Trump has not decided whether to launch new strikes against Iran, but would prefer to resolve the conflict diplomatically.

Qatari mediators were in Tehran on Friday for discussions with Iranian officials before moving the talks to Doha on Saturday, an official had told Reuters. The talks were being coordinated in regular contacts with Washington, the official added.

United States President Donald Trump on Saturday said that Washington could strike Iran's remaining suspected nuclear facilities in "10 minutes," signaling the possibility of further military action despite ongoing diplomatic negotiations.

Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump claimed that US military operations had severely weakened Iran's armed forces and nuclear infrastructure, leaving only a few sites to be targeted.

"We still have to take care of, I would say, one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes. So, we have that plan," Trump said. "You probably could look at Pickaxe Mountain, you have to take care of that. We can do that all very quickly," he added, referring to a suspected Iranian nuclear facility.

🇺🇸 President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has knocked out much of Iran's military but still has to "take care of" one or two targets, as Tehran warned of reprisals if attacked ➡️ https://t.co/gl06h3LgJQ pic.twitter.com/dgSxdclo3H

Trump made the remarks when asked whether there was a timeline for ongoing Qatari-mediated negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

He said the US was not in a hurry to reach an agreement, claiming that American military operations had destroyed much of Iran's navy, air force, air defences, military equipment and nuclear infrastructure.

Asked whether Washington could resume military operations against Iran as soon as this week, Trump declined to provide a direct answer. "Why would you ask such a stupid question?" he said, before adding: "I can't tell you."

Trump also reiterated Washington's opposition to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. "Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. They want to make a deal; we'll find out about that," he said.

Asked about the progress of negotiations, Trump expressed skepticism about Tehran's reliability despite describing the talks as progressing. "They're going fine, but they're not very reliable. I will tell you, they make a deal and then they back out. They want to make a deal. We'll see if they make a deal," he said.

Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as "terrorist" organisations and its foreign intelligence agency MI6 as a "hostile group" on Sunday, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

In a statement carried by state-run news agency IRNA, the ministry said the move came in response to London's "malicious" actions, particularly its designation of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a "terrorist organisation."

Iran designates MI6 as ‘hostile group’, British navy and air force as ‘terrorist organizations’https://t.co/heLVhyzrPP pic.twitter.com/mVSnarvCg7

The ministry said the decision was taken under a resolution by Iran's Supreme National Security Council and followed the United Kingdom's designation of the IRGC under the State Threats Act 2026 on July 13.

Tehran also accused London of participating in the United States-Israeli war against Iran by providing access to military and logistical bases and facilities under British jurisdiction.

IRGC's Deputy for Political Affairs Brigadier-General Yadollah Javani said that Tehran's military was “fully prepared for any scenario the enemy may devise" and that forces were operating on the assumption that the US or Israel could strike at any moment, Al Jazeera reported.

Javani, cited by Al Jazeera, told Iran's Fars News Agency that Tehran would not be caught off guard and would respond as necessary.

Brigadier-General Yadollah Javani, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ deputy for political affairs, says Iranian forces are operating on the assumption that the US or Israel could strike at any moment. 🔴 LIVE updates ⤵️ https://t.co/wX8G1qVggq

The deputy also noted that Tehran's military capabilities now allowed it to confront the enemy defensively and as well as through preemptive and offensive operations.

According to Al Jazeera, Javani said Iran could inflict heavy, devastating strikes on US warships and warned that any region that enemy forces try to enter, whether by air assault or across a border, would become a “killing ground” for them.

Separately, Iran's army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia warned that any renewed US aggression would be met with an "immediate, decisive" response on a “larger” scale than before, Press TV reported.

🔴 Spokesman of the Iranian Army Brigadier General Akrami-Nia: 🔺 Any renewed US aggression will be met with an immediate, decisive response on a larger scale than before. 🔺 In the event of a new war, its scope will not be confined to West Asia. pic.twitter.com/kmNoSNYysF

The spokesperson added that in the event of a new war, its scope will not be confined to West Asia, Press TV said.

Al Jazeera reported that two air raids hit an oil facility in Yemen’s Hodeidah, citing Al Masirah TV. 

It added that the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis had conducted two raids on an oil facility in Bajil district in the western Hodeidah governorate, with at least three civilians wounded.

Tensions in the Middle East have remained high since the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, triggering Iranian retaliation across the region.

Despite subsequent diplomatic efforts and a memorandum signed by Washington and Tehran in June, tensions have persisted over security arrangements and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

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