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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Tehran is prepared for both diplomacy and military confrontation with the United States "more than ever before", adding that the next move depends on Washington's willingness to pursue negotiations.
Speaking to Iranian state news agency IRNA on Monday after concluding his visit to Turkmenistan, Araghchi said Iran had presented its specific conditions and a formulated plan for a diplomatic resolution, with Qatar and Pakistan playing active roles in facilitating negotiations through phone calls and shuttle diplomacy. "We have announced our specific conditions and presented our formulated plan; now everything depends on how much political rationality prevails on the American side and whether there is a will to take the wise path of diplomacy or, as in previous instances, to drag the situation toward aggression and military operations," he said. Araghchi warned that any renewed military test or attempt at deception by the enemy would invite a response "far harsher and more regretful than before". He stressed that Iran would not bow to coercion and reiterated that reopening the Strait of Hormuz and fully resuming talks were directly contingent upon the unconditional acceptance of Iran's "rightful conditions". "We do not rule out any possibility regarding the outbreak of war, and we are prepared for all scenarios. We have upgraded our weaponry, addressed our vulnerabilities, and tested new arms; our forces are at the highest level of readiness," he said. On his visit to Turkmenistan, Araghchi said strengthening ties with neighbouring countries remained an "unchanging priority" of Iran's foreign policy. Highlighting the trip as productive, he said it aimed at following up on major bilateral projects in the energy, transit and economic sectors, in line with agreements reached by the two countries' presidents on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in Awaza. He said he briefed President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov on the latest regional developments, the Iran-US negotiation process, the state of the war and the full readiness of Iran's Armed Forces. Regarding the visit of c, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, to Beijing, Araghchi said the consultations were part of Tehran's continuous strategic and security engagement with key partners on regional peace and stability. His remarks come amid continued diplomatic exchanges between Tehran and Washington. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that the responsibility for advancing negotiations rested with the United States, emphasising that Iran's demands, including an end to the US naval blockade, must be met. "The ball is in America's court because our demands have been stated very clearly and transparently, and Iran's demands are reasonable and logical," Baghaei said during a press briefing. He also said Iran's seven-step proposal for negotiations remained on the table and had been condensed for implementation within two days, provided Washington fulfilled Tehran's conditions. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has said Washington is in no hurry to end its conflict with Iran, describing the ongoing hostilities as "not a typical war" while maintaining that time favours the American side. (ANI)
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