Iran is “fully prepared” for a return to all-out war with the United States but is hopeful of a diplomatic solution, the country’s foreign minister has said.
Abbas Araghchi, who has been in the U.S. over the past week for the United Nations General Assembly, was speaking to NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday, 27th September, when he made the comments.
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His interview came days after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal to end the conflict.
Full Preparations
Araghchi’s television appearance came amid heightened uncertainty over the war’s direction. Trump has repeatedly stated a forthcoming “big decision” as to whether to “annihilate” Iran, and a Wall Street Journal report released on Friday indicated that the President expected a renewed bombing campaign following November’s midterm elections.
“We are fully prepared for the time for the war to be resumed, and I repeat, we stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war,” Araghchi told NBC News when pressed on the WSJ report. “At the same time, we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose.”
A New Deal
Earlier this month, Iranian officials presented the Trump administration with a proposal to end the conflict within a week. The deal largely resembles the memorandum of understanding that was signed between the two warring nations earlier this year, but ultimately fell through after the U.S. accused Iran of striking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Our conditions are an end to the war on all fronts, the release of our frozen funds and an end to the naval blockade,” said Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei in an interview with Al Jazeera when asked about the proposal. “It is in Washington’s interest to accept these conditions. Trump’s threats will not achieve any results. We are prepared for a decisive war.”
It is understood that the latest proposal fast-tracks negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, which would begin immediately after hostilities ended rather than within 60 days.
Proposal Rejected
President Trump told reporters he had rejected the proposal on Friday evening, hours before sharing a Truth Social post in which he renamed the Strait of Hormuz, “Trump Strait.”
“I rejected their deal. They want to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they’re losing so badly,” Trump added at the White House.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz further explained the reasoning behind the proposal’s rejection to NBC News, suggesting the U.S. could not permit Iran “to have access to billions in frozen funds.”
“I think this was a pretty cynical attempt to put something on the table that they knew was unacceptable, to ask for the release of the blockade, the sanctions, international sanctions and access to billions in assets,” Waltz said, questioning “who’s calling the shots in Iran right now” while noting the previous violations of the memorandum of understanding.
“I think it’s kind of common sense that the President doesn’t have a lot of confidence this time after we just tried a few months ago,” Waltz added. “What I can tell you is the president will leave all options on the table to ensure the world is safe from Iran holding the world hostage with a nuclear weapon.”
Waltz declined to comment on what deal Trump would accept.
No November Interest
Araghchi referred to recent claims by the U.S. President that Iran was waiting to negotiate until after the midterm elections. Araghchi, who added that the recent proposal contained conditions that were “not new”, dismissed Trump’s election claims in his “Meet the Press” interview.
“If you ask us, there is no reason why we should go back to diplomacy,” Araghchi said. “But I am still trying diplomacy because I think we shouldn’t miss any chance for peace. We don’t care about U.S. midterm elections. We care about our national interests.”
Trump has claimed that Iran is unwilling to negotiate amid rising fuel prices across the U.S. This increase in living costs, with each American household reportedly $1,200 worse off as a result of the war, has hindered the conflict’s popularity ahead of the midterms. A majority of Americans disapprove of the war, with the Democrats leading some congressional generic ballots by 11 percentage points.
About the Author: Shay Bottomley
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist. He has written for the Western Standard, Business Insider, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo.
