Former MI6 chief says Iran appears dominant as tensions escalate

Alex Younger says US President Donald Trump had lost the initial gains from earlier strikes

LONDON/TEHRAN: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-March 26^th, 2026) Former head of MI6 Alex Younger has said that Iran appears to hold the upper hand in the ongoing conflict, citing strategic and military adjustments made by Tehran.

Younger stated that US President Donald Trump had lost the initial gains from earlier strikes. He noted that following last year’s June conflict, Iran dispersed its weapons across the country and decentralised military command to lower levels, a move he described as effective.

He also highlighted that Iran has carefully factored in the economic significance of the Strait of Hormuz in its strategy.

In Tehran, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed that the United States, in coordination with another country, had devised a plan to seize an Iranian island.

He warned that any such move would trigger intense retaliatory strikes on sensitive installations across the region.

Meanwhile, addressing an audience in Washington, US President Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran were underway, claiming that Tehran was eager for a deal but hesitant to say so publicly.

He further alleged that the Iranian leadership fears both domestic backlash and consequences from the United States if it openly pursues an agreement.

Trump also claimed that Iran’s naval and air capabilities had been neutralised, adding that media coverage created a misleading impression that the United States was losing the conflict.