Iran’s Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, has said that both the United States and Israel failed to meet their military objectives during recent hostilities involving Iran, and warned that Washington would be no more successful in negotiations than it was on the battlefield.
In an interview with Russian daily Vedomosti, as cited by Al Jazeera, Jalali rejected claims that the campaign against Iran had achieved any of its stated goals. He said early rhetoric from opposing forces had suggested ambitions ranging from regime change to broader military control.
“They stated that they could conquer all of Iran in a few days and carry out regime change,” Jalali was quoted as saying, questioning whether any of those objectives had been realised. “In which of their tasks have they achieved success? Not in one. The attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel have failed,” he added.
According to the report, Jalali also argued that US objectives shifted over time, moving away from regime change toward narrower concerns, including securing maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz. He dismissed such efforts as ineffective, saying they “do not make any sense” in the face of what he described as Iran’s continued resolve.
He further suggested that military pressure had only strengthened domestic cohesion in Iran. Referring to earlier diplomatic discussions, Jalali claimed Washington had initially supported elements of Tehran’s 10-point proposal before withdrawing that backing.
The envoy was firm in rejecting what he characterised as unequal terms in any future negotiations. “What Trump did not achieve during the war, he will no longer be able to achieve during negotiations,” he said, adding that any settlement would need to be based on what he described as a “fair, win-win” approach.
The remarks come as a two-week ceasefire nears its scheduled end on April 22. According to the report, the latest round of talks between Tehran and Washington ended in deadlock, with disagreements persisting over maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.
With the truce set to expire midweek, both sides are expected to face renewed pressure to either reach a diplomatic breakthrough or risk further escalation. The United States has said a “fair and reasonable” agreement remains on the table, while Iranian officials have signalled resistance to negotiations conducted under what they describe as coercive conditions.
(With inputs from ANI)