Iranian government spokesperson says Iran is ready for negotiations but will defend the country whether through war or negotiations, Iran International reports

Statements pairing readiness for talks with readiness for war are the standard dual-track register Iranian officials have used across past escalation cycles, and historically they have functioned as signalling rather than as a change in position: the open door is offered to relieve international pressure while the defiance preserves domestic credibility and deterrent posture. The market-relevant distinction in episodes of this kind has been between rhetorical positioning and anything that moves actual supply risk: it is threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, strikes on regional energy infrastructure, or proxy attacks on tankers that have driven the geopolitical premium into crude, freight rates and war-risk insurance, not communiqués. Spokesperson-level comments of this type have typically produced at most a marginal bid in oil and haven assets, with the premium fading unless follow-through appears in tanker traffic, export volumes or field-level disruptions. What has mattered in prior sequences is whether counterparties pick up the negotiation offer, whether back-channel contacts are confirmed, and whether military deployments on either side shift alongside the language. The source being an exile-funded outlet rather than official state media is worth noting for tone rather than substance, since translation and framing choices can sharpen the war half of the message.