Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran remains open to diplomacy but is also fully prepared for what he described as an “apocalyptic war” if the United States launches new attacks.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press and in a post on X, Araghchi said he and President Masoud Pezeshkian traveled to New York to pursue peace rather than war. He stressed that Tehran would continue seeking a diplomatic solution while remaining prepared to respond to military aggression.
The remarks come amid stalled US-Iran negotiations. Reports say the United States rejected a recent Iranian proposal involving the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz within seven days in exchange for an end to hostilities and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
US President Donald Trump has said further indirect talks are expected, with Qatar continuing to relay messages between Washington and Tehran.
Trump also expressed confidence that the conflict with Iran will be won "very soon," while acknowledging that fresh military strikes ahead of the US midterm elections are "possible."
Speaking to Fox News on the sidelines of the PGA Tour Presidents Cup on Sunday (local time), Trump said that an end to the confrontation would cause global oil prices to fall sharply, reiterating that denying Tehran a nuclear weapon is the primary American objective.
"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.
When asked specifically whether military strikes could resume before the upcoming midterm elections, Trump declined to take the option off the table.
"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.
Emphasising the core focus 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."
When asked about 'Operation Economic Outcast' and whether the US is succeeding through military pressure or economic sanctions, Trump asserted that the US is making 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."
(With inputs from ANI)
