Iran has ruled out the possibility of a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel, with Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi saying Washington already "learned a good lesson" and that Tehran would continue fighting to protect its people and national security.
In an interview with NBC News' “Meet the Press,” Araghchi said Iran cannot agree to a temporary truce while hostilities persist. “We need to continue fighting for the sake of our people and our security,” he said.
Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of targeting civilians and critical infrastructure during the conflict.
“The U.S. and Israel are killing our people, they are killing girl students, you know, they are attacking hospitals,” he told NBC News.
Also Read: Israel 'Destroys' Plane Used By Iran's Late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
He argued that previous ceasefire arrangements had already been broken, referring to the truce that ended last year's 12-day war. “They shattered the ceasefire and now you want to ask for a ceasefire again? This doesn't work like this,” he said, adding that only a permanent end to the war would change Iran's position.
Meanwhile, reports have emerged about possible Russian assistance to Iran. Four sources told NBC News on Friday that Russia had been providing intelligence on the location of US forces in the Middle East, including information that could help Iran track American warships.
When asked about the reports, Araghchi acknowledged the longstanding ties between Moscow and Tehran but did not confirm specific intelligence sharing. “Cooperation between Iran and Russia is not something new, it's not a secret,” he said. “They are helping us in many different directions. I don't have any detailed information.”
In a separate interview on “Meet the Press,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Washington was aware of the close ties between the two countries. “We know that both Russia and Iran have had this symbiotic relationship,” Waltz said.
“If they are providing anything, it certainly hasn't been very effective, because the U.S. military is decimating Iran's air force, air defenses, navy, ground forces, command and control.”
Araghchi also warned against the deployment of American ground troops in Iran. “If the U.S. deploys ground troops to Iran, we have very brave soldiers who are waiting for any enemy who enters into our soil, to fight with them and to kill them and destroy them,” he said.
Also Read: Russia, China Aiding Iran with Military Cooperation Amid Conflict: FM Abbas Araghchi
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