Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has declared Tehran is ready for the possibility of a U.S. ground invasion, saying the country has no intention of seeking a ceasefire or entering into negotiations with Washington amid esclation in the United States-Israel conflict with Iran.
In an interview with NBC News, Araghchi delivered a defiant message, insisting that Iran's military is fully prepared for any development. An American ground operation, he warned, would come at a high cost. "We are confident that we can confront them, and that would be a big disaster for them," he told the network.
Speaking from Tehran during a video interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas, Araghchi was asked whether Iran feared a potential American ground assault. He said, "No, we are waiting for them," he said. He later clarified that his remarks did not imply Tehran was seeking to prolong the conflict.
"When I said we are waiting for them, it didn't mean that we are waiting for a continuation of the war," he said, adding, "We have prepared ourselves to confront any scenario, any eventuality, any possibility, and we know we can handle that."
According to Araghchi, Iran has drawn lessons from past conflicts and believes its armed forces are capable of confronting U.S. troops should the conflict escalate to ground combat.
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Araghchi also condemned the US sinking of the unarmed Iranian warship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean on March 4, calling it a war crime. "The ship that was sunk in the Indian Ocean was unarmed and full of training officers. Attacking such ship is a war crime," Araghchi said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi:
— Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) March 5, 2026
The ship that was sunk in the Indian Ocean was unarmed and full of training officers.
Attacking such ship is a war crime. pic.twitter.com/S7C5FokTC3
There Will Be No Ceasefire, No Negotiations
The Iranian foreign minister also dismissed the possibility of diplomatic engagement with the United States, saying they had not sought a ceasefire despite ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes across the country.
"The fact is that we don't have any positive experience of negotiating with the United States. You know, especially with this administration," he said.
Araghchi claimed previous talks had been undermined by US actions. "We negotiated twice last year and this year, and then in the middle of negotiations, they attacked us," he said.
Given this history, he said Iran sees little value in returning to the negotiating table. "So we see no reason why we should engage once again with those who are not honest in negotiation, and they do not enter into negotiation in good faith."
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