Iran has ruled out negotiations with the United States as its war with the U.S. and Israel entered its 11th day, vowing to continue missile strikes in what it described as an act of self-defence.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that dialogue with U.S. was no longer under consideration following recent attacks on Iranian territory.
“I don’t think talking with the Americans would be on our agenda anymore,” Araghchi said in an interview with PBS News, adding that Tehran had a “very bitter experience” with previous negotiations with the United States.
It could be recalled that the latest escalation began on February 28 when the U.S. and Israeli forces launched a wave of strikes across Iran.
The attacks killed Iran’s long-time supreme leader Ali Khamenei and triggered a broader regional conflict.
Following the strikes, Iran appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader.
The announcement was accompanied by renewed missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. interests across the Middle East.
Iranian officials say the military operations are a response to what they describe as aggression by Washington and Tel Aviv.
Araghchi insisted that Iran would continue its attacks for as long as necessary.
“We are prepared to continue attacking them with our missiles as long as needed and as long as it takes,” he said.
The conflict has also disrupted global energy supplies.
DDM reported that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s crude oil passes, has been severely affected.
Iranian forces have reportedly targeted several oil tankers moving through the strait since the war began.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting appear to be gaining momentum. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said a number of countries had reached out to Tehran to explore the possibility of a ceasefire.
According to him, China, Russia, and France, along with several regional states, are in contact with Iranian authorities regarding potential steps to end the war.
French President Emmanuel Macron also said that France and its allies were preparing a defensive mission aimed at restoring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite these diplomatic contacts, Iranian officials insist that the country will continue its military operations until the attacks against it stop
