Iranian Foreign Minister: Never asked the United States for a ceasefire and returning to the negotiating table has limited significance

# Xinhua News Agency

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi has explicitly denied ever requesting a ceasefire or negotiations with the United States, stressing that Iran will continue to defend itself until Trump acknowledges this is an “illegal and unwinnable war.” He pointed out that U.S. attacks have occurred twice during Iran-U.S. negotiations, making a return to the negotiating table of limited significance. Additionally, Iran expressed willingness to consult with relevant countries on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and stated that its nuclear materials are currently buried under the ruins of nuclear facilities and will not be retrieved for the time being.

In an interview with a CBS program on March 15, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that Iran has never requested a ceasefire from the United States, nor has it even asked for negotiations. Iran will continue to defend itself “for as long as it takes” until U.S. President Trump recognizes this is an “illegal and unwinnable war.”

Araghchi noted that the war was provoked by the United States and Israel, and Iran is merely acting in self-defense. He emphasized that previous experiences with U.S. negotiations have been poor, and returning to the negotiating table holds little meaning. “We see no reason to talk with the Americans, because when they decided to attack us, we were in negotiations with them—and this is the second time this has happened.”

Araghchi’s remarks were a response to comments made by Trump. In a telephone interview with NBC on March 14, Trump claimed that Iran was ready to negotiate a ceasefire, but he was not yet prepared to reach an agreement “because the terms are not good enough.”

According to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Araghchi also said during the interview that Iran only targets U.S. assets, and cannot stand idly by while the United States uses neighboring countries’ territories to attack Iran.

Regarding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi revealed that several countries have approached Iran, hoping their vessels can pass through the strait safely. He said Iran is willing to negotiate with these countries, and the final decision will be made by the Iranian military.

On Iran’s nuclear program, Araghchi pointed out that before the U.S.-Israeli war began, Iran had made major concessions in indirect nuclear talks with the United States, offering to dilute its 60% enriched uranium to demonstrate that Iran has no intention of seeking nuclear weapons.

He said Iran’s nuclear materials are currently buried under the ruins of nuclear facilities, and Iran has no plans to retrieve them for now. If retrieval becomes necessary in the future, it will be carried out under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

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