In a statement posted on X, Qalibaf said Iran would not pursue a halt in fighting amid the widening confrontation. "We are certainly not seeking a ceasefire; we believe that we must strike the aggressor in the mouth so that they learn a lesson and never think of aggression against our dear Iran again,” he wrote.

The comments come as tensions surge across the region after Iranian officials said a series of U.S. and Israeli attacks followed the Feb. 28 assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei. According to Iranian authorities, the strikes targeted military and civilian sites across the country, causing casualties and damaging infrastructure.

Iran’s armed forces have since launched missile and drone strikes against U.S. and Israeli targets in the region, Iranian officials say, raising fears of broader escalation around strategic waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments.

Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued a warning to Donald Trump after the U.S. president threatened stronger retaliation if Iran disrupts oil traffic through the strait. "Even those greater than you have failed to eliminate the Iranian nation,” Larijani wrote on X. "Be careful not to be eliminated yourself.”

Diplomatic contacts also continued with neighboring states. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan during a phone call Tuesday that no Iranian projectiles had been fired toward Turkey. The two sides agreed to establish a joint military expert group to review recent claims and prevent misunderstandings.

Turkish officials reiterated support for maintaining stable relations between the two countries. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian also spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this week to reject reports alleging Iranian missile launches toward Turkey.

On the streets of Tehran, residents described a tense atmosphere as news of the escalating conflict spread. "People are watching the news constantly, and some shops close earlier than usual,” said Reza Mohammadi, a shopkeeper in the city’s central bazaar. "Everyone hopes the situation will not become a wider war.”

Analysts say the hardening rhetoric from Iranian leaders suggests Tehran is prioritizing deterrence while trying to reassure neighboring countries that the conflict will not spill across their borders.