Iran has flatly rejected any prospect of negotiations with the United States and pledged to continue its missile campaign, as the war sparked by the joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28 enters its tenth day with no sign of a diplomatic off-ramp.
Speaking in an interview with PBS NewsHour, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: “The firings continue. We are well prepared to continue attacking them with our missiles as long as needed, and as long as it takes.” He ruled out any future negotiations, saying: “I don’t think talking with Americans anymore would be on our agenda.”
Araghchi cited the shattering of trust caused by two rounds of failed nuclear negotiations that preceded the US-Israeli strikes. “We negotiated twice last year and this year, and then in the middle of negotiations, they attacked us. We see no reason why we should engage once again with those who are not honest in negotiation,” he said. He added he had held no communication with US envoys Steve Witkoff or Jared Kushner since the war began.
Kamal Kharazi, foreign policy adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, echoed the foreign minister’s position, saying there is no longer room for diplomacy with the US and that the Iranian army is ready for a long war.
Araghchi described the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei — son of the assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — as a signal of “continuity and some sort of stability,” suggesting Iran’s posture of defiance would remain unchanged under new leadership. President Trump has strongly opposed the appointment, telling Axios: “They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight.”
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Araghchi dismissed the US-Israeli military campaign as a strategic failure, saying: “They thought that in a matter of two or three days, they can go for regime change, a rapid, clean victory. But they failed. Option plan A was a failure, and now they are trying other plans, but all of them have failed as well.”
Iranian military sources told Fars News Agency that Iran had fired over 500 ballistic and naval missiles and nearly 2,000 drones since February 28, with approximately 40 per cent aimed at Israel and 60 per cent directed at US targets across the region.
The UK, France and Germany jointly condemned Iran’s counter-strikes and called for a resumption of diplomacy, while making clear they do not support regime change from the skies. The US Senate’s attempt to pass a war powers resolution restricting President Trump’s ability to continue military action against Iran failed. China has dispatched a special envoy to the Middle East for mediation, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi holding calls with his Saudi and UAE counterparts.
With Trump demanding unconditional surrender and Tehran vowing to fight indefinitely, the prospect of a diplomatic resolution appears increasingly remote.