Iran says it will not talk to the US as tensions rise

Iran has stated it has no intention of engaging in peace talks with the United States. This announcement came as verbal exchanges between the two nations grew more intense.

Ali Nikzad, the deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, made the declaration during a parliamentary session. He argued that Washington had nothing new to offer in potential negotiations.

Nikzad asserted that the United States must acknowledge Iran's power. He stated, “They must accept that they have no choice but to acknowledge the power of Iran.” He added that he believed the Americans, rather than the Iranian nation, would be the ones to surrender in the conflict.

The deputy speaker emphasized that Tehran would not negotiate on the nuclear issue regardless of external pressure. He noted that Iran had already given its enemies ample opportunity for talks. According to Nikzad, those opportunities were met with broken promises and the illegal bombardment of peaceful nuclear facilities.

This hardline stance followed comments from the Iranian army. Spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia told state media that Iran’s war strategy has shifted from defensive to offensive. He warned that if a new war erupts, the conflict will not stay within West Asia.

Akraminia predicted that any future war could be significantly longer than previous conflicts. The army also vowed to respond to any new US attacks with an immediate and crushing response.

On the US side, President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States had already knocked out much of Iran’s military. He claimed the US had only one or two targets left to address and could handle them in ten minutes.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a slightly different perspective. He said Trump had not yet made a decision about fresh strikes. Rubio maintained that the US remained open to a diplomatic solution.

The United Arab Emirates expressed a desire for a diplomatic breakthrough while preparing for potential conflict. Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the Emirati president, spoke at a conference in Manama. He said the region does not want another round of fighting, but the country is braced for the worst.

Indirect negotiations are continuing through Qatar. After a Qatari delegation visited Tehran earlier in the week, Iran sent envoys to Doha to keep consultations going. These talks aim to end the war that began on 28 February with joint US-Israeli strikes. Iran retaliated by targeting Gulf countries hosting US military bases.

Senator Chris Murphy criticized the plan to restart the war. Speaking at an event in Washington, DC, he called the plan insane. He warned it would lead to devastating escalation and likely destroy the commitment to the rule of law. Murphy made these comments after media reports indicated the US warned Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a short, intense offensive after the 3 November midterm elections.