Iranian spokesperson Mohabi says they do not fear war, and are not running from negotiations

The market-relevant distinction is between rhetoric and physical risk, since durable crude and Gulf-asset premia have historically required changes around freight, insurance, proxy activity or perceived vulnerability near Hormuz rather than wording alone. The negotiation clause matters because prior episodes have tended to fade when contacts remain scheduled and intermediaries stay engaged, and to harden when talks are formally broken or higher authority sharpens the line. A spokesperson carries less signal weight than senior security, nuclear or command figures, so confirmation or contradiction from that layer is the usual sorting mechanism. The tells are subsequent official repetition, movement in tanker and insurance pricing, any change around nuclear or proxy posture, and whether the next session is framed as de-escalatory or merely tactical. As a headline, this is directionally hawkish but not yet a change in condition.