"Talks with the US are no longer on our agenda".
Modern.az reports, citing Mehr News Agency, that this was stated by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Araqchi answered the question "Are there preparations for talks with the US or a ceasefire topic?" as follows:
"Firstly, I must say that it is too early to talk about this. We are all awaiting the statements and position of the new Supreme Leader, and these statements will be made soon".
The Iranian Foreign Minister continued, saying: "However, I do not think that talks with the Americans will return to our agenda. Because we have a very painful experience in conducting talks with America. We held talks with them in June of last year, and they attacked us in the middle of the talks".
“This year they tried to convince us again, but this time the situation was different. They promised that they had no intention of attacking us and wanted to resolve Iran's nuclear issue through peace and negotiations, and eventually agreed. However, after three rounds of talks, when the American team stated that significant progress had been made in the negotiations, they again decided to attack us. Therefore, I do not think that talks with America are still on our agenda”, - the minister added.
To the question, “Are there interruptions and disruptions in oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz?” Araqchi replied as follows:
“This is not our fault and was not part of our plan. The reduction or cessation of oil production or shipment is not due to our actions, but rather to the attacks carried out by Israel and America against Iran. They have made the entire region unsafe. Therefore, oil tankers and ships are afraid to pass through the Strait of Hormuz”.
The Iranian Foreign Minister stated that Iran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz and has not hindered the passage of ships:
“However, the attacks by America and Israel have rendered the entire region unsafe. The consequences of this situation are immense; not only for us, but for the entire region and the international community"
When asked if the restriction of oil supplies was part of their strategy, Araqchi replied: "In fact, this is a war imposed on us. What we are doing is purely defensive. We are facing a completely illegal act of aggression, and our action is legitimate self-defense”.
Araqchi added: "We had previously warned all countries in the region; if America attacks us, since we do not have access to American territory, we will target American bases, facilities, and assets in the region. As a result, the war will spread throughout the entire region. This is a consequence of America attacking us, and we bear no responsibility for it"
