Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said that different messages have been exchanged between Iran and the United States through intermediaries over the past few days, while Tehran has held no talks with Washington since the beginning of the US and Israeli attacks on the country late last month.
He made the remarks in an interview with state-run IRIB TV on Wednesday (local time).
“Since a few days ago, the American side has started sending different messages through different intermediaries. When messages are relayed to us through friendly countries and we, in response, declare our positions or issue the necessary warnings, it is called neither negotiation nor dialogue. There has merely been an exchange of messages through our friends, and we have repeated our principled positions,” Araghchi said.
He added that in some messages, Iran warned the United States against attacking its infrastructure, which caused Washington to withdraw its warning to strike Iranian power plants within 48 hours, reports Xinhua news agency.
Araghchi said that Iran does not seek war, stressing “We did not begin this war and want an end to it, however, in a way that it is not repeated.”
He noted that Iran does not want a ceasefire as it would be a repetition of the same “vicious circle” of negotiation, war, and truce, emphasising that “We want an end to this war on our own terms.”
Araghchi said that Iran’s current policy is to continue resistance and defend the country, and there is no plan for holding negotiations.
On the Strait of Hormuz, he noted that the waterway is considered part of the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, adding that Iran is studying “new arrangements for safe passage through the strait.”
The Iranian foreign minister’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump claimed that Tehran is negotiating with the United States and wants a deal to end the war.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the Middle East, and exercising tight control over the Strait of Hormuz, not allowing safe passage by vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.
(IANS)
