Iran Not Seeking Ceasefire or Talks With US, Says Foreign Minister Araghchi

Tehran, March 2026 : Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has stated that Iran is not seeking a ceasefire or negotiations with the United States, asserting that the country is prepared to defend itself for as long as necessary against what he described as an “illegal war.”

In an interview with CBS News aired on Sunday, Araghchi rejected claims that Tehran had requested an end to hostilities. He emphasized that Iran had not asked for either a ceasefire or diplomatic talks with Washington.

“We never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiations. We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes,” the minister said during the interview.

Araghchi added that Iran would continue its operations until US President Donald Trump recognizes that the conflict is, in his view, an unwinnable and unlawful war.

“We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were already talking with them when they decided to attack us, and that was for the second time,” he said, referring to earlier diplomatic contacts between the two sides.

Addressing concerns over global shipping routes, Araghchi said Iran has not closed the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The strait is considered one of the most crucial maritime routes for global oil transportation.

He noted that decisions regarding the waterway are made by Iran’s military authorities. According to him, the military has already allowed certain vessels from different countries to pass through the strait.

Speaking about the nuclear issue, the Iranian foreign minister reiterated that Tehran has never sought to develop nuclear weapons. He revealed that before recent attacks on Iranian facilities, the country had agreed during discussions with the United States to dilute its enriched uranium stockpiles.

However, Araghchi said those materials are now buried beneath debris following strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “Everything is under the rubble,” he said, adding that Iran currently has no plans to recover the enriched uranium from the damaged sites.

Earlier on Sunday, Araghchi also claimed that Tehran has information suggesting that the United States and Israel are launching attacks from certain locations against Arab countries in West Asia.

In an interview with the pan-Arab media outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, he questioned the origin of attacks on several Arab states that have reportedly been blamed on Iran.

The Iranian minister said Tehran is willing to meet with regional governments and form a joint investigative committee to examine the nature and origin of those attacks.

According to Araghchi, Iran’s military actions have been limited to targeting US bases and interests in response to attacks allegedly launched from those locations. He stressed that the strikes were carried out as retaliatory measures rather than offensive operations.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)