Iran today said it is ready to resume fighting if necessary, though it is also keeping the door open to diplomacy, as its tensions with the US and Israel remain unresolved and at a massive high following the collapse of the latest peace proposal.
Speaking to reporters, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran would respond firmly to any new military action by Washington but would continue using negotiations when it suited Iran’s interests.
“We fight whenever it is necessary,” Baghaei said.
“Whenever we deem it appropriate, we use diplomacy as a tool to secure the interests of the Iranian nation.”
His remarks came a day after President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest response to a proposed US peace framework, calling Tehran’s position “totally unacceptable”.
Baghaei insisted that Tehran’s approach to negotiations was a serious and sincere one, and accused Washington of ‘being insincere’ in its rhetoric about wanting a diplomatic solution.
“Iran has shown that it is serious about pursuing its national interests and legitimate rights through diplomatic processes in good faith and in a reasonable manner,” he said.
“The other side must prove itself. It must demonstrate that it is serious in this regard. So far, it has failed.”
He also rejected suggestions that Iran had sought major concessions in its reply to the US proposal.
“The only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” he said.
The latest exchange reflects the increasingly fragile state of diplomacy after months of war, sanctions, naval blockades and repeated threats of renewed military escalation.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also echoed a similar position on Sunday, stressing that Tehran would not surrender under pressure.
“We will never bow down to the enemy,” Pezeshkian said in a message posted on social media.
He added that Iran remained committed to defending its national interests “with strength”.
“If talk of dialogue or negotiation arises, it does not mean surrender or retreat,” he said.
“The goal is to uphold the rights of the Iranian nation and to defend national interests with resolute strength.”
