Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country is prepared to resume fighting with the United States but has not yet abandoned diplomacy after President Donald Trump publicly rejected a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed. We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war,” Araghchi told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday, when asked about a Wall Street Journal report that Trump could seek to resume bombing after the U.S. midterm elections. “At the same time, we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose.”
Iran this week had offered a deal to reopen the strait and resume normal maritime passage through the critical global oil chokepoint within seven days, as part of a plan conveyed to the U.S. through mediator Qatar on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Trump said Saturday that he had turned down that proposal, telling reporters: “I rejected their deal. They want to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they’re losing so badly.”
Araghchi told moderator Kristen Welker on Sunday that despite Trump’s public comments, the rejection had still not been officially communicated to Iran via mediators.
He reaffirmed that Iran was ready to reopen the strait as part of an agreement to end the conflict, adding that in return, “we want our monies, our assets, which are illegally frozen, to be released. We want to be able to sell our oil.”
Araghchi said the conditions were “not new” and were things the U.S. has already committed itself to previously, referring to the memorandum of understanding that the two countries signed in June that laid out plans for a temporary ceasefire. That agreement collapsed within days after fresh strikes were exchanged.
“If you ask us, there is no reason why we should go back to diplomacy,” Araghchi said. “But I am still trying diplomacy because I think we shouldn’t miss any chance for peace.”
“We don’t care about U.S. midterm elections,” the Iranian official added. “We care about our national interests.”
Prior to Araghchi’s interview, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told “Meet the Press” that the deal was rejected for a “a number of reasons,” suggesting the U.S. could not permit Iran “to have access to billions in frozen funds.”
Waltz said: “I think this was a pretty cynical attempt to put something on the table that they knew was unacceptable, to ask for the release of the blockade, the sanctions, international sanctions, and access to billions in assets.”
He also questioned “who’s calling the shots in Iran right now,” adding that the country had violated the past memorandum of understanding by attacking international shipping.
“I think it’s kind of common sense that the president doesn’t have a lot of confidence this time after we just tried a few months ago,” Waltz added. “What I can tell you is the president will leave all options on the table to ensure the world is safe from Iran holding the world hostage with a nuclear weapon.”
Asked what deal Trump would accept, Waltz said: “I’m not going to negotiate for the president.”
“This is about keeping the next generation safe from Iran threatening the world with a nuclear weapon,” he added.
Earlier this week, Trump said he was still considering whether to “annihilate” Iran or make a deal.
“I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to,” Trump said. “They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election.”
Polls show Democrats with an advantage heading into the November midterms. The latest NBC News Decision Desk Poll found 31% of respondents approved of Trump’s handling of the Iran war, while 69% disapproved.
