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Araghchi: There is no military solution to end aggression against Iran
Iran’s top diplomat insisted on Sunday that there would be no military solution to the United States’ aggression against Iran, with talks on ending the conflict apparently at an impasse.
“If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before, and we will defend ourselves with even more force,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a gathering of foreign ambassadors and heads of foreign and international missions.
At the same time, the diplomatic door remains open, with Tehran prepared to negotiate an end to the war if the other side chooses diplomacy rather than military action, the foreign minister said.
New US sanctions would not produce results either, according to Araghchi, who rejected both military pressure and additional sanctions as solutions.
“There is no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions,” he continued, adding “only negotiations based on justice and fairness" could end the conflict.
Araghchi also said that the Iranian delegation’s presence in New York during the United Nations General Assembly was “very strong and very effective,” particularly because Tehran presented its seven-day proposal for resolving the dispute with the US.
“If accepted, the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened within seven days,” he explained, referring to the proposal as a diplomatic route toward ending the war.
Iran has since received Washington’s official response to the seven-day proposal through diplomatic channels, although the details of the US position have not been made public.
The foreign minister also said renewed contacts with Persian Gulf states were “effective, respectful and friendly,” adding that a new path toward “trust, peace, stability and security” has begun.
The two sides agreed a memorandum of understanding in June that spelled out a framework for a permanent resolution, but the US violations of the terms of the agreement prompted a return to war.
Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war, striking vessels that attempt to transit without its authorization.
The US has imposed its own counterblockade of Iranian ports, and has also struck vessels it accuses of violating it.
On Sunday, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said a tanker in the Hormuz “reported being struck by an unknown projectile, causing damage to the engine room", though the crew were reported safe and no environmental impact was recorded.
Iranian and US officials last week held indirect talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Iran has demanded, among other things, a ceasefire across the Middle East, the unfreezing of its assets abroad, the lifting of sanctions on its oil sector and an end to the US naval blockade.
Trump, however, rejected the proposal, while leaving the door open both to further talks or renewed military operations.