Araghchi: The U.S.–Iran conflict cannot be solved by military action — only fair talks bring peace

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that his country’s conflict with the United States cannot be resolved by military means, while talks to end the war appear to have stalled. He made the statement at a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran, as AFP reports.

"If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before, and we will defend ourselves with even greater force," Araghchi said. "There is no military solution, nor a solution based on new sanctions," he added, stressing that only "talks based on justice and honesty" can end the conflict, according to AFP.

The statement comes after a long bombing campaign that failed to bring a decisive end to the war launched by the United States and Israel at the end of February, while in recent weeks Washington has scaled back military operations in favour of economic pressure. The sides had agreed in June on a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at a permanent settlement, but the agreement broke down, mainly over disagreements on the Strait of Hormuz — Tehran has sought to impose control over the vital maritime route, attacking ships that pass without its authorisation.

Iranian and American officials held indirect talks last week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where Tehran said it presented seven conditions for reopening the strait. President Donald Trump publicly rejected the proposal, but left the door open both to further talks and to renewed military operations, as AFP reported earlier. The American outlet Axios reported meanwhile that senior members of Trump’s cabinet met on Friday to discuss the war in Iran, as well as the conflict in Yemen.