Araghchi says Iran ready for war but open to diplomacy

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was prepared for fighting to resume with the United States but remained open to diplomacy, after President Donald Trump publicly rejected an Iranian proposal tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The plan, as Araghchi described it, would restore passage through the waterway within seven days if Washington met Tehran’s conditions and would lead to renewed talks. Araghchi said Iran had conveyed the proposal through intermediaries and was still waiting for a formal response through those channels, despite Trump’s public rejection. He said Tehran was willing to reopen the strait as part of a negotiated settlement, and sought the release of frozen Iranian assets and the ability to sell oil. The sources do not include the proposal’s text or a formal U.S. response delivered to Iran. Trump said he had rejected the arrangement, arguing that Iran wanted the strait opened immediately. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Washington objected in part to Iran’s requests for access to frozen assets and sanctions relief. Waltz also said the administration’s focus included preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.