Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Monday that Tehran will continue both the paths of war and diplomacy to serve its interests, noting that negotiations with the United States remain possible.
اضافة اعلان
Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, Baghaei said, "I reject the binary of either war or diplomacy. Diplomacy is a tool through which we seek to achieve our national interests, just like war."
He added, "We have been informed through mediators and have received messages, without going into details. What matters is that the diplomatic apparatus has been active in recent days, and ideas have been conveyed to us through several intermediaries."
A fragile truce between Iran and the United States collapsed after reported Iranian attacks on ships last week as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz, which was the conduit for a fifth of global oil and gas supplies before the war.
The United States reinstated a naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz following renewed clashes—described as the fiercest since a ceasefire between the two sides took effect in April.
Iran warned that resuming the naval blockade on its ports undermines the memorandum of understanding with Washington.
The war broke out on February 28, when Israel and the United States attacked Iran. Tehran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz, which prior to the war served as the primary waterway for roughly twenty percent of the world's energy supplies.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the conflict's main flashpoints. Iran's control over the strait has granted it immense leverage, effectively giving Tehran a major bargaining chip.
On early Monday, the U.S. military launched a new wave of strikes against Iran for the ninth consecutive night, as Iran continued its aggression against countries in the region. (Agencies)
