Bijan Kian, a national security expert, said that diplomatic negotiations between the US and the Islamic Republic could continue even after the start of military operations, but he believed that Washington would not make concessions to the Iranian government. Also, emphasizing the role of the Iranian people in the political future of the country, Kian said that external pressures alone will not decide and the fate of the government will be determined by the Iranian people. He also asked the soldiers' families not to let their children lose their lives in military operations.