'We won the war, won diplomacy': Araghchi says Iran pushed US war so it could control ceasefire

Iran's assertions of victory and warning of retaliation

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a conference with educators that Tehran deliberately prolonged the war with the United States to secure a ceasefire on its own terms. "We were the ones who refused the ceasefire and continued the war until we reached a point where they [the US] agreed to a ceasefire and negotiations on Iran's terms," he said, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. Araghchi added: "We fought with strength and negotiated with strength, and we won the war, and we won the diplomacy."

He described the Iranian people as having "stood against what was supposedly the largest military in the world, which was supported and assisted by most Western countries and by several other countries in the region and beyond," and concluded that "those who tried to impose unconditional surrender on Iran begged for negotiations shortly after the war began."

A claim carried by a single outlet and not yet independently verified, the remarks echo a broader Iranian narrative. President Masoud Pezeshkian similarly said, according to state media, that "the entire world approved our victory and the US is hated," as reported by India Today.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei warned on Monday that Tehran would respond harshly to expanded US sanctions, which Washington has said it will impose as part of an "unprecedented" level of economic warfare and isolation. "Any escalation of this situation will undoubtedly bring about consequences," Baghaei said, according to the Associated Press and WDIV ClickOnDetroit. "Our hands are not tied."

The new head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, threatened neighboring countries against joining US efforts to squeeze Iran's economy. In an interview with state broadcaster IRIB that aired Saturday, Rezaei said, "If (Trump) wants to do something, we will retaliate in a seismic manner," as quoted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He warned that Iran would target oil-shipping routes out of the Persian Gulf—alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz—if neighbors joined the "economic war," calling such neighbors "enemies."

Diplomatic efforts and regional negotiations

Egypt has moved to mediate between Tehran and Washington. Egypt's foreign ministry said the top diplomats of Egypt and Iran discussed efforts to return both capitals to the negotiating table to settle the war, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and India Today. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty also discussed the Iranian-Omani talks on managing the Strait of Hormuz. Araghchi confirmed the call, and separately spoke with Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Rezaei said discussions with Oman over management of the strait were ongoing and that fees would be imposed. Iran has asserted control over the waterway since the outbreak of war, and its attacks and threats have severely hampered traffic through a route that carried a fifth of the world's traded oil before the conflict. Iran has maintained demands for reopening the strait, including lifting the US naval blockade, withdrawing US forces, and reparations. It has also held talks with Oman on jointly managing the waterway.

In a related development, Iraqi President Nizar Amidi said there is facilitation for some ships carrying Iraqi oil in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that a number of Iraqi oil tankers have been permitted to transit, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

US stance and threats

President Donald Trump has signaled no urgency in reaching a deal with Iran. In a FOX News interview on Monday, Trump said Iran should raise "the white flag of surrender," that he has "no time schedule" and is in "no hurry," according to the Jerusalem Post. He described the Iranians as "good poker players, but they're dying." Trump also warned that "if Oman gets in the way [of US control in the Strait of Hormuz], we'll bomb the s* out of them," and, regarding US munitions used against Iran, said what has been used so far "is peanuts."

Regional tensions: Syria, Golan Heights, and Gaza

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met with a high-level Israeli delegation in Jordan over the weekend to defuse tensions after Israel struck an air base in northern Syria, as reported by the Associated Press and WDIV ClickOnDetroit. Syria's state news agency SANA reported the talks were US-mediated and focused on restarting negotiations for a future security agreement. Israel struck the Abu Duhur air base in Idlib province, aiming to stop Turkey from establishing a presence there. Syrian officials asserted the right to develop an army and forge alliances, called for withdrawal of Israeli forces from a buffer zone, and reiterated Syria's stance on the Golan Heights.

A separate Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the southwestern Syrian village of Beit Jin wounded one person, according to SANA, while Syria's foreign ministry said several civilians were injured and called the strike a flagrant violation of sovereignty. The Israeli military said it targeted "a terrorist who advanced terror attacks in final stages of preparation."

On the Golan Heights, US Ambassador Tom Barrack, who serves as special envoy for Syria, said in an interview that Israel "still" occupies the territory in violation of UN resolutions. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the remarks "full of inaccuracies and positions that contradict Trump's own position." Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war and annexed it in 1981, and in March 2019, Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty. Colombia became the second country this month to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, according to India Today.

In Gaza, health officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital said an Israeli strike on the backyard of a house killed one Palestinian and wounded another on Saturday. Israel's military said it targeted Sharif al-Hasanat, a Hamas commander who "advanced terror attacks and took part in efforts to restore Hamas' underground infrastructure." Separately, a strike killed one Palestinian, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, with Israel's military saying it targeted a Hamas commander. Gaza's Health Ministry has reported at least 1,285 Palestinians killed in ongoing Israeli airstrikes.

West Bank siege

Palestinian American Loui Ridi, who traveled from Ohio to the West Bank to join relatives defending his home from Israeli settlers, said he remained unable to move freely in the village of Qusra after settlers besieged his home. Ridi said settlers returned throughout the week to the hill above his house, and he had to coordinate movement for supplies. The siege has sparked condemnation from Israeli rights groups and foreign officials, including US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who called the violence terrorism. Palestinians consider the West Bank, home to some 3 million Palestinians and 560,000 Israeli settlers, the heart of any future state, and violence by settlers against Palestinians has spiked this year.

Perspectives

Iran: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other officials present the war as a victory, asserting that Tehran forced the United States to negotiate and accept a ceasefire on Iranian terms. They warn of severe retaliation to any further sanctions or military pressure.

United States: President Donald Trump dismisses Iran's claims, insists Iran should surrender, and threatens escalated economic warfare and military strikes, including against Oman if it interferes with US control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Egypt: Egypt acts as a mediator, seeking to bring Tehran and Washington back to negotiations, as reported by its foreign ministry.

Syria: Syrian officials protest Israeli strikes as violations of sovereignty, assert the right to develop its military and alliances, and demand withdrawal of Israeli forces from the buffer zone.

Israel: Israeli officials defend military actions as targeting terrorists and reject US envoy Tom Barrack's remarks on the Golan Heights, asserting they contradict US policy.

Palestinian Americans: Loui Ridi highlights settler violence and the daily threat to Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

France and Saudi Arabia: Both governments are exploring alternative trade routes to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, reflecting concerns over shipping disruptions.