IRAN PERSPECTIVE

Official Iranian media cover day 26 oscillating between military defiance and calculated diplomatic openness. IRNA reports that Iran 'received the 15-point American plan but calls it extremely maximalist and unreasonable.' Press TV highlights Iranian retaliatory strikes against Gulf states hosting US bases, with a missile hitting a Tel Aviv street, framed as 'legitimate response to aggression.'

Kayhan, the ultraconservative newspaper close to the Supreme Leader, adopts the most intransigent tone: 'Iran sets five non-negotiable conditions for any ceasefire.' The axis of resistance vocabulary is omnipresent: the war is framed as the final battle between the Islamic Republic and the American 'Great Satan' allied with the Zionist 'Little Satan.'

But the declaration that 'non-hostile' ships can transit the Strait of Hormuz safely is a significant diplomatic signal: Iran seeks to preserve relationships with non-aligned powers (India, China) while maintaining pressure on Washington's allies. Press TV insists Iran 'never wanted this war' and the door of diplomacy remains open 'on just terms.'

Iran International, from London, is the only voice reporting sporadic anti-war protests in Iran and criticizing the regime for provoking a conflict the population pays for in blood. The outlet notes the 1,200 Iranian deaths are likely underestimated by the Red Crescent.