"I'm not ready for an agreement": Trump raises the stakes in the conflict with Iran as the Revolutionary Guards threaten Netanyahu and Unifil comes under fire.

In Tel Aviv, the sirens pierced the sky: another barrage of missiles from Iran. A few hours later, thousands of kilometers away, a voice on the phone sets the line: Donald Trump says he is "not yet ready for a deal" to end the war with Tehran, because "the terms are not good enough." And while diplomacy struggles to find a breakthrough, in southern Lebanon, Unifil reports being targeted "on three different occasions," "probably by non-state armed groups": no injuries, but an unequivocal signal of escalation along the Blue Line, the fragile buffer between Israel and Hezbollah.

The interview that raises the bar: Trump does not close the door, but raises the price

In a lengthy phone conversation with Nbc, Trump articulated a position that sounds like a re-launch: no agreement for now, despite mediation attempts and the message that Tehran "wants a deal." "The terms are not solid enough yet," the American president emphasized, implying that any cessation of hostilities must rest on stringent and verifiable conditions. The line is consistent with what has already been written or said in recent days: no agreement without what the tycoon has termed "unconditional surrender" of Iran, a phrase that raises the bar of expectations far beyond a simple ceasefire or a return to nuclear negotiations.

In the conversation with Nbc, Trump also fueled another front of uncertainty: "I don't even know if Mojtaba Khamenei is alive. So far, no one has been able to show him," he said, evoking the shadow that surrounds the new Supreme Leader of Iran, designated after the killing of Ali Khamenei at the beginning of the war. The provocation immediately bounced back to Tehran, where Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi cut short: "Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in good health and fully governs the country." A clear denial, useful to seal — for now — the rumors about the leader's condition. Meanwhile, in Washington, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed that Khamenei would be "injured and likely disfigured", fueling the perception of an Iranian leadership that is operational but hit.

The enigma of Mojtaba Khamenei: between Western caution and messages of strength from Tehran

The paradox is all here: while Trump casts doubt on the existence of the new Guide, Tehran is working to demonstrate continuity and control. International sources and analyses describe Mojtaba Khamenei — 56 years old — as a leader who grew up in the shadow of his father, with close ties to the Pasdaran and the security apparatus, at a time when the Islamic Republic wants to project the image of a state that remains upright despite the trauma. To emphasize the context, leading outlets have reported on the election of Mojtaba by the Assembly of Experts on the night of March 8-9, 2026, in a wartime context that has accelerated choices and forced procedures, with the explicit support of the IRGC. The narrative is clear: the chain of command exists, and it endures.

From a Western perspective, however, this very bond with the Pasdaran raises an immediate political problem: if the new leader embodies the continuity of the hardest system, the window for a “quick” compromise with Washington risks closing. This has been evident in the lexicon of the Trump Administration over the past 7-10 days: on one hand, the president has repeatedly announced that the war could end “soon,” while on the other, he has reiterated maximalist goals and promised that Iran “will have nothing left to strike.” A seesaw between victory rhetoric and noose conditions that effectively freezes the political channel.

Pasdaran, the personal threat to Netanyahu: “We will hunt him down and kill him”

If ambiguity prevails in the negotiation dossier, communication on the ground is of steel. In a note circulated in Tehran and relayed by regime-affiliated agencies, the Pasdaran have sent an unprecedented message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “If he is still alive, we will continue to hunt him down and kill him with all our might.” Words that suddenly raise the level, beyond the strategic threat, to the hunt for the political-military leader of the Jewish state. The text — released at dawn on March 15, 2026 — speaks of a “first phase” of Iranian revenge that would have targeted “3 American bases in the region” and “positions in the occupied territories,” claiming heavy missiles on industrial targets in the Tel Aviv area. Israel, for its part, continues to report launches from Iran and activate defenses, with sirens heard in Tel Aviv and in the center of the country in recent hours.

UNIFIL in the crosshairs along the Blue Line: three incidents of fire, no injuries. But the alarm rises

While the chancelleries weigh their words, along the Israeli-Lebanese border, the news dictates the agenda. Unifil announced that on March 15, 2026, "the blue helmets were targeted by gunfire likely from non-state armed groups, on three separate occasions, during patrols around the bases in Southern Lebanon." The patrols responded "in self-defense" and, after brief exchanges, resumed their activities: no peacekeeper was injured. This is yet another episode of increasing pressure on the UN mission, which in recent months had already reported incidents, gunfire in the vicinity of the patrols, and — in at least one case — injuries to soldiers inside a base, highlighting a shrinking margin of safety.