Iran has stated that negotiations with the United States are no longer being considered as the conflict involving Iran, Israel, and other regional actors entered its 11th day.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, made this known during an interview with PBS News on Tuesday. He said Tehran has ruled out further discussions with Washington following what he described as a deeply negative experience during previous negotiations.
“I do not think dialogue with the Americans will be on our agenda anymore,” Araghchi said.
The ongoing conflict escalated on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran. The attacks killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and triggered a broader war across the Middle East.
The strikes occurred just two days before planned diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran. The negotiations had already gone through three earlier rounds and were being mediated by Oman, whose representatives had earlier indicated that the discussions were making meaningful progress.
Following the attacks, Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli locations and American interests across the region.
The conflict has also affected global trade routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s crude oil supply is transported.
Since the fighting began, shipping activities through the strait have been severely disrupted, with Iranian forces reportedly targeting oil tankers moving through the channel.
During the interview, Araghchi defended Iran’s actions, saying the country was responding to aggression.
“We are acting in self-defense,” he said, adding that Iran is prepared to continue missile attacks for as long as necessary.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, revealed that several countries have begun diplomatic efforts to push for a ceasefire.
Speaking on state television, he said nations such as China, Russia, and France, along with some regional governments, have contacted Iran in an attempt to help end the conflict.
According to him, some of these countries are willing to intervene diplomatically to halt the war or establish a ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, announced that France and its allies are planning a defensive mission aimed at restoring safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Gharibabadi insisted that Iran did not initiate the conflict and maintains that its military actions are purely defensive.
“We did not start this war. We are defending ourselves,” he said.
