Iran rejects ceasefire, vows self-defense 'as long as it takes': FM Araghchi
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Tehran: Iran is not seeking a ceasefire or talks with the United States and stands ready to defend itself "as long as it takes" against an "illegal war," Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared in a CBS News interview aired Sunday.
Dismissing claims of Iranian overtures for peace, Araghchi said: "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."
He vowed to press operations until US President Donald Trump recognizes the conflict's futility. "We don't see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us, and that was for the second time," Araghchi added, noting prior US attacks despite ongoing dialogue.
On the Strait of Hormuz, he clarified Iran has not closed the vital waterway, leaving passage decisions to the military—which recently allowed vessels from multiple nations to transit.
Araghchi reiterated Tehran's rejection of nuclear weapons, revealing pre-attack US talks had included plans to dilute enriched uranium stockpiles. Those materials are now "under the rubble" from strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, with no recovery plans.
In a separate Al-Araby Al-Jadeed interview, the FM accused the US and Israel of staging attacks from Arab states' territories—blamed on Iran—and proposed a joint regional committee to investigate.
Iran's response, he stressed, targeted only US bases in retaliation.
(Inputs from IANS)