Adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader: We are ready to expand the war from Hormuz to the Mediterranean

(Patria) - A potential peace agreement between the US and Iran depends on whether the Trump administration agrees to release $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, a senior Iranian official told CNN today.

He warned that the US will "enter a dark corridor" if the conflict continues.

In an exclusive interview from Tehran, Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, stated that negotiations are at a standstill and that US President Donald Trump must find a solution.

- Negotiations are at a standstill and Mr. Trump must break this deadlock. The ball is in Trump's court - Rezaei said, as reported by Index.

Iran is reportedly seeking the release of $12 billion in frozen funds immediately upon signing an interim agreement, and an additional $12 billion at a later stage.

US officials, however, fear that unfreezing the funds at this stage could remove a key lever of pressure on the Iranian regime.

Trump has also emphasized that any agreement must be significantly stronger than the 2015 nuclear deal and must avoid anything that could be interpreted as handing over "pallets of cash," a phrase he used to criticize financial compensation to Tehran during the Obama administration.

In a rare interview, Rezaei offered insight into the thinking within Iranian power circles regarding the country's post-war vision, the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, and possible Iranian moves in the event of a new attack.

His statements carry particular weight as he is closely connected to the Iranian security establishment and is considered a trusted figure of the current Supreme Leader, who has not appeared in public since being injured in an Israeli attack in which his father was killed on the first day of the war.

Rezaei described the demand for asset release as a confidence-building measure, emphasizing that such a move by the Trump administration would open a "new horizon for the future" of Iran and America.

- If he (Trump) wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to establish with him. It is a test that the US must pass, after which the path will be open. It is our money, not American - Rezaei said.

He warned that if the US continues the conflict, Iran will "expand the war" beyond the Persian Gulf, potentially extending military operations from the Strait of Hormuz to the Indian Ocean, the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean.

- We will give the war a second dimension by attacking other US bases, in addition to those we have already attacked - he stated, adding, however, that "the possibility of war is low."

When asked about the health and role of Ayatollah Khamenei in decision-making, Rezaei did not respond, but dismissed the possibility of his meeting with Trump.

- That will not happen. We are currently in the first phase of negotiations, and Trump has brought these negotiations to a standstill. A meeting will not take place - Rezaei said.

Trump, on the other hand, stated this week that he and Khamenei seem to "get along well" and that it would be an "honor" to meet with him.

Rezaei reiterated the claim that Iran and Oman have sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war, and that they will jointly manage it.

He avoided calling the demand for ship passage a toll, clarifying that Iran would charge a "maintenance fee" because it should not bear the costs of managing the strait alone.

As a member of the old guard of the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), Rezaei fought in the Iran-Iraq war and led those forces from 1981 to 1997, helping shape them into one of the most powerful institutions of the Islamic Republic.

A hardline pragmatist deeply rooted in the security establishment, he later joined the Expediency Council, which advises the Supreme Leader.

He also served as vice president in the government of former President Ebrahim Raisi. Rezaei has also run unsuccessfully for president four times.

During the 40-day US-Israeli war against Iran, which began in late February, the Islamic Republic retaliated with attacks on 12 countries in the region, targeting military facilities, energy infrastructure, and civilian sites.

Tehran reportedly also fired missiles toward Diego Garcia, a joint US-British military base in the Indian Ocean about 3,200 kilometers away, thereby demonstrating its military reach.

In the interview, Rezaei expressed doubt about the durability of any nuclear agreement with Trump, recalling his withdrawal from the 2015 deal and, as he said, his strategy of "ambiguity" in negotiations.

If negotiations fail, Rezaei said, Iran is prepared for a possible US ground invasion.

- Then the world will understand Iran's true capabilities, because our ground power is many times greater than our missile power - Rezaei said.

He described the recent war as Iran's first triumph against its enemies in the 47-year history of the Islamic Republic.

- This is the first time Iran has emerged from wars as a winner, while in previous wars it was always defeated - Rezaei concluded in the interview with CNN.