Iran says it exhausted every peace option before US chose war

TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran entered negotiations before the outbreak of war because even the slightest possibility of avoiding bloodshed was worth pursuing, accusing the United States of steering the region toward confrontation instead of embracing diplomacy.

In remarks published on Sunday, Araghchi said Iran believed it had a responsibility to explore every peaceful avenue, even if the likelihood of success was only 10 percent.

He stressed that diplomacy was pursued not out of weakness, but to prevent another destructive conflict and demonstrate Iran’s commitment to a negotiated solution.

The foreign minister said Tehran wanted to ensure that no opportunity for peace was left unexplored, adding that exhausting diplomatic channels also made clear to the international community, the Iranian people and its adversaries that Iran had made every effort to prevent war before resorting to self-defense.

Araghchi’s remarks came as regional tensions continued to escalate following the US-Israeli military campaign launched against Iran earlier this year.

The offensive triggered retaliatory Iranian missile and drone strikes targeting American military assets across the Gulf, raising fears of a wider regional war.

Although Pakistan successfully brokered the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding last month to halt hostilities and lay the foundation for a lasting peace agreement, the fragile arrangement collapsed after Washington resumed military operations and intensified pressure around the Strait of Hormuz.

The renewed US attacks have been widely criticized for undermining diplomatic efforts and pushing the Middle East closer to prolonged instability, despite repeated international calls for dialogue and restraint.