Iran Rejects Ceasefire, Says It Never Sought Talks

COLOMBO (News 1st); Iran has not asked for a ceasefire and has not sought negotiations with the United States, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, rejecting claims that Tehran is looking for a pause in the fighting as tensions continue to escalate.

The comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump said over the weekend that he was not ready to make a deal with Iran because the terms were “not good enough yet.”

According to his administration, the conflict could continue for another three and a half weeks.

Asked directly whether Iran had requested a ceasefire, Araghchi was unequivocal.

“No, we never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation,” he said. “We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes, and this is what we have done so far, and we continue to do that until President Trump comes to the point that this is an illegal war with no victory, and there are people being killed only because President Trump wants to have fun.”

When pressed on his use of the phrase “have fun,” Araghchi doubled down, accusing U.S. leaders of openly embracing violence.

“Yes, this is what he said, that they are sinking ships and targeting different places because it is fun,” the Iranian foreign minister said. He also accused the U.S. Secretary of War of making statements that, in his view, amount to criminal conduct. “The Secretary of War has said that there is no mercy, and this is actually a war crime. Even saying that is a war crime.”

Araghchi described the conflict as a deliberate decision by Washington rather than a necessity. “So this is a war of choice by President Trump and the United States, and we are going to continue our self-defense,” he said.

A journalist challenged that assessment, arguing that the fighting represents a war of survival for Iran’s government and questioning whether Tehran would be forced to negotiate, either directly or through a third party. Araghchi rejected that framing.

“No, it’s not a war of survival. We are stable and strong enough,” he said. “We are only defending our people from this act of aggression.”

He also dismissed the prospect of renewed talks with Washington, citing past experience. “We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us, and that was for the second time,” he said.

“There is no good experience talking with the Americans,” Araghchi added. “We were talking, so why did they attack us? So what is good if we go back to talk once again?”