New York: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that while Tehran continues to pursue a negotiated settlement, it is also braced for what he called an “apocalyptic war” should Washington initiate fresh military strikes.
In appearances on NBC’s Meet the Press and in a message posted on X, Araghchi said both he and President Masoud Pezeshkian had travelled to New York with the aim of securing peace, not escalating hostilities. He underlined that Iran would keep pushing for a diplomatic resolution, even as it prepared to counter any act of military aggression.
His comments come as US–Iran negotiations appear to have stalled. Media reports indicate that the United States turned down a recent Iranian offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week, in return for a cessation of hostilities and the unfreezing of Iranian financial assets, as reported by The New Indian Express.
US President Donald Trump has indicated that more indirect talks are likely, with Qatar continuing to serve as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran.
Trump also voiced confidence that the confrontation with Iran would be resolved “very soon,” while stopping short of ruling out new military action before the US midterm elections.
In an interview with Fox News on the sidelines of the PGA Tour Presidents Cup on Sunday (local time), Trump said that ending the conflict would lead to a sharp drop in global oil prices, reiterating that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained the primary US goal.
“I think what’s going to happen is we’re going to win this war very soon, and as soon as we win it, the oil will go down, way down to what it was before the war,” Trump told Fox News.
Pressed on whether military strikes could resume ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, Trump refused to dismiss the possibility.
“I don’t want to say that. I don’t want to say that. I mean, it’s possible, but I just don’t want to say that,” Trump said.
Highlighting the central thrust of US policy, he added, “And the key is, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” noting that nuclear deterrence was “key to the whole thing.”
Asked about “Operation Economic Outcast” and whether the US was succeeding through military pressure or economic sanctions, Trump claimed progress on both fronts.
“I think both. I think we’ll win it both ways. We’ve already won it really from a military standpoint,” Trump said, adding, “But that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped that.”