Iranian Foreign Minister says Tehran seeks ‘conclusive, lasting’ end to war

Tehran: Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Tehran seeks to secure the terms of a “conclusive and lasting” end to the US and Israeli war imposed on the country.

He made the remarks in a post on social media platform X while highlighting one of Iran’s main preconditions for an end to the ongoing conflict, and reacting to US media reports that the country has refrained from attending ceasefire talks with the United States in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

Araghchi said that Iran’s position is being misrepresented by the US media as it has not refused to attend the talks.

“What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting end to the illegal war that is imposed on us,” he stressed.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Iran has officially told mediators that it is not willing to meet US officials in Islamabad in the coming days and considers US demands unacceptable.

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency early Friday quoted an informed source as saying that Iran had rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire sent through a “friendly” country the preceding day, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Saturday said in a statement that it has struck key infrastructure sites across Tehran.

Guided by intelligence, the IDF struck several defence sites, including an aerial defence facility of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) storing missiles intended to target aircraft, according to the statement.

Also targetted were a military facility tasked with protecting weapons research and development sites, another facility used to store ballistic missiles, and additional weapons production and research and development sites.

“These completed strikes are part of the ongoing phase of increasing damage to Iran’s core systems and foundations,” the statement said.

The latest development follows the crash of two US military aircraft on Friday after they came under Iranian fire. One pilot from the two-seat F-15 has been rescued, while the other remains missing, Xinhua news agency reported. The back-to-back losses of US aircraft came shortly after US President Donald Trump claimed that Iranian forces “can’t do a thing about” US planes flying over Tehran.

Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday that at least five people were injured in US-Israeli attacks on several petrochemical companies in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province.

The firms, identified as Fajr 1 and 2, Regal, Amirkabir, Bandar Imam and Buali Sina, were hit at 10:47 am local time (0717 GMT) on Saturday, the report said.

It quoted Valiollah Hayati, Khuzestan’s Deputy Governor for security and law enforcement affairs, as saying that the possibility of further casualties is very high.

He added the Shalamcheh border trade terminal in Khorramshahr city was also attacked and sustained serious damage.

The Mahshahr Special Petrochemical Zone, where the companies are located, has been evacuated, the report said.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targetting Israel and US assets in the Middle East.

IANS