Iran’s response to any military confrontation will be stronger than before, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday while stressing that the diplomatic path to ending the war remains open and that there is no military solution or solution based on imposing more sanctions.
Speaking during a meeting with ambassadors and heads of foreign missions residing in Tehran, Araghchi said that the new US sanctions will be futile, asserting that Washington has failed in both the battlefield and diplomacy.
He indicated that the real way to overcome the crisis lies in prioritizing the logic of equal dialogue, away from policies of pressure and diktat.
The Iranian foreign minister added that the only way to end this war is through a course based on negotiation, justice, fairness, and diplomatic dignity, stressing that the idea of isolating Iran globally has completely failed. He noted that Tehran today plays a pivotal and influential role on the global stage.
Regarding regional relations, Araghchi announced the initiation of a new path for building confidence between Iran and neighboring countries, affirming that good progress has been made in this regard, especially in the Gulf region, and praising the regional position supporting these efforts.
He noted that Gulf countries are standing with Iran in this effort, with a shared determination emerging to establish peace, stability, and security in the region.
On relations with Europe, he explained that dialogue with European countries is characterized by complete frankness, expressing hope that these countries will reconsider their position toward Iran.
These statements come amid escalating US economic pressure on Iran, with expanded economic sanctions imposed on various sectors, in addition to the ongoing blockade on Iranian ports and coasts, following the US-Israeli aggression on the country.
Recently, the two sides exchanged proposals and responses regarding reaching a roadmap for an agreement to end the war, through regional mediators led by Qatar.
Echoing these statements, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Iran is fighting and holding talks with the United States at the same time, based on a strategy of firmness and rationality.
In a speech during a parliament session, Ghalibaf said Washington has presented proposals through mediators despite recent media claims otherwise and called on the United States to accept the fact that the era of wasting time and imposing unilateral demands has ended.
He stressed that Tehran is “present on the field with its full strength and will confront the enemy with new surprises” and specified that “the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened until our seven conditions stated in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding are met.” He also said the United States is seeking to manipulate Iran’s strategic calculations by broadcasting conflicting news, efforts he said will remain nothing but an illusion.
Ghalibaf stressed that Iran will use diplomatic tools to consolidate its military superiority, reiterating that “the victor in talks is the one who has prepared for war.”