Iran sets condition for considering ceasefire

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on March 8 that Tehran has no intention of complying with Donald Trump’s demand for “unconditional surrender,” warning that Iran is prepared to continue fighting amid escalating military action.

Speaking in an interview on Meet the Press with host Kristen Welker on NBC, Araghchi said both the United States and Israel must explain what he described as a joint attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader earlier this month, Politico reports.

“They have to explain why they started this aggression before we come to the point to even consider a ceasefire,” Araghchi said. “Of course, nobody wants to continue this war. This is not our war of our choice. This is imposed on us by the United States, by Israelis.”

The comments come as the White House continues to outline its objectives for the military campaign known as Operation Epic Fury. During the past week, the Trump administration’s justification for the conflict has shifted several times, with Trump at one point claiming Iran possessed missiles capable of reaching the United States.

Araghchi dismissed that claim as “misinformation.”

On Wednesday, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, presented four key goals the administration aims to achieve through the operation.

Earlier on Friday, Trump vowed to continue military operations until Iran issues an “unconditional surrender,” repeating demands he made during last year’s 12-day war with Tehran. The United States launched strikes against several Iranian nuclear sites four days after that demand in June.

Araghchi, however, said the strategy had failed before and would not succeed this time.

“We never gave up. We never surrendered,” he said. “We continue to defend ourselves, and we are defending our territory, our people and our dignity, and our dignity is not for sale.”

The Iranian foreign minister also addressed reports of a deadly strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran that allegedly killed more than 165 people. He accused the United States or Israel of responsibility for the attack.

“It is our school. These are our students, our girls, and they are attacked by an American jet fighter and they have been killed. Why Iran is responsible?,” Araghchi said.

The Trump administration has said the Pentagon is investigating the incident, while Trump has suggested Iran itself could be responsible for the strike.

When asked about evidence implicating U.S. forces, Araghchi insisted that Iran was not behind the attack, saying that only the United States or Israel could have carried it out.

The duration of the conflict remains uncertain. U.S. officials have indicated the war could last between five and six weeks. According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, more than 1,000 people have been killed in Iran since the fighting began.

Araghchi stressed that any eventual end to the conflict must lead to lasting peace rather than a temporary pause in hostilities.

“There should be a permanent end of the war,” he said. “Unless we get to that, I think we need to continue fighting for the sake of our people and our security.”