The diplomat insisted that the current conflict must be resolved with a lasting and guaranteed settlement.

Araghchi emphasized that Tehran did not choose this path of violence. He claimed that hostilities began while diplomatic efforts were still active.

“Our message is that this war is not our war. This is a war that has been imposed on us. We were negotiating with the United States when they decided to attack us. This was a blatant act of aggression; an illegal, unjustified and unprovoked act of aggression,” Araghchi said.

The foreign minister characterized Iran’s military response as a necessary reaction to external threats.

He clarified that the country is prepared to maintain its current posture for as long as it feels threatened.

“What we are doing is purely self-defence. We will continue to defend ourselves, however necessary and for as long as necessary,” he explained, according to a transcript shared on his Telegram account.

The refusal to accept a standard ceasefire stems from a desire to avoid the failures of previous agreements.

Araghchi noted that Iran is looking for a finality that prevents the region from slipping back into the same cycle of violence seen in the recent past.

“Our position is, and I must reiterate, that we do not accept a ceasefire because we do not want the scenario of last year to be repeated. The war must be completely and permanently ended, and there must be guarantees that this situation will not be repeated,” Araghchi said.