--- description: The comments come after President Trump claimed Iran had asked for a ceasefire and he had rejected the overtures. title: Iran Denies Seeking Ceasefire, Sees ‘No Reason’ to Talk to the U.S. image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt55d788749eb936f2/69b6e3195f0af36ddd1b4459/AP26047359623508.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Iran](/tag/iran/) ## Iran Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Iran's Foreign Minister Denies Seeking Ceasefire, Sees ‘No Reason’ to Talk to the U.S. by [Nandika Chatterjee](/author/nandika-chatterjee/) ## Nandika Chatterjee Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 15, 2026 5:08 PM CUT  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during a meeting with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, at Tahrir Palace in Cairo, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during a meeting with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, at Tahrir Palace in Cairo, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025.Khaled Elfiqi—Associated Press, File by [Nandika Chatterjee](/author/nandika-chatterjee/) ## Nandika Chatterjee Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 15, 2026 5:08 PM CUT Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi [said](https://time.com/7382652/iran-warns-united-states-conflict-escalates-struck-warship/ "undefined") Sunday that Tehran sees “no reason” to negotiate with the United States and will continue fighting for “as long as it takes.” Speaking to CBS’s [Face the Nation](https://x.com/FaceTheNation/status/2033193440477954298 "undefined"), Araghchi described the conflict that began with a barrage of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 as “a war of choice” that has targeted Iranian civilians and military installations alike. “We never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation,” he said. “We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes. And this is what we have done so far, and we continue to do that until President Trump comes to the point that this is an illegal war with no victory.” **Read more**: [_Trump Calls on Other Nations to Secure the Strait of Hormuz: 'We Will Help'_](https://time.com/article/2026/03/14/strait-of-hormuz-trump-iran/ "undefined") On the prospect of talks with the U.S., Araghchi said: “We don't see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us, and that was for the second time. There is no good experience talking with Americans.” The interview comes after President Donald Trump has claimed several times in recent days that Iran is interested in negotiating a deal, but that he has rejected those overtures. Late Friday, he posted on Truth Social that Iran “is totally defeated and wants a deal — but not a deal that I would accept.” The following day, he told NBC News that while Iran “wants to make a deal,” he would not pursue one because the proposed terms “aren’t good enough yet.” Trump Administration officials have warned in recent days that the current conflict could last several more weeks, as Iran has continued to launch drones and missiles into neighboring countries hosting U.S. forces. Araghchi framed those strikes as defensive actions on Sunday, saying countries such as Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates “gave their soil to American forces to attack us… We cannot just remain silent on this.” He insisted Iran only targets American assets. "There are, you know, people being killed only because President Trump wants to have fun," Araghchi told CBS. "This is a war of choice by President Trump and the United States, and we are going to continue our self-defense." Iranian missile and drone strikes on the Gulf and Israel have killed more than 30 people, in addition to 13 U.S. service members. More than 1,200 people have been killed in Iran, according to state media. It is unclear if the overall death toll includes Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military casualties. Lebanon's Health Ministry says at least 486 people have been killed in Israeli strikes there. Araghchi also addressed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for global oil trade, where Iran has restricted passage to U.S. and Israeli vessels. Araghchi said Iran has provided safe passage to other countries that requested it, but declined to identify them. “We provide security to pass because we have not closed this strait. They are not coming themselves because of the insecurity…because of the aggression by the U.S.,” he told CBS. Araghchi further discussed Iran’s nuclear program, noting that roughly 440 kilograms of enriched material remain under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision after prior attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. While Iran had previously offered to dilute highly enriched uranium in negotiations with the U.S. officials, Araghchi said, “There is nothing on the table right now. Everything depends on the future.” The minister dismissed concerns that Iran’s stance could isolate it internationally or jeopardize future trade. “We are stable and strong enough. There is no experience, good experience, talking with Americans,” he said, referencing past diplomatic efforts that collapsed before attacks escalated. He added: "We were talking, so why they decided to attack us? So what is good if we go back to talk once again?” He also addressed the status of the four Americans reportedly held in Iran, including journalist Reza Valizadeh and Kamran Hekmati. Araghchi said they are safe “if the U.S. and Israel do not attack our prison.” Iran Denies Seeking Ceasefire, Sees ‘No Reason’ to Talk to the U.S. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/03/15/iran-Abbas-Araghchi-ceasefire-trump/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/03/15/iran-Abbas-Araghchi-ceasefire-trump/"},"headline":"Iran's Foreign Minister Denies Seeking Ceasefire, Sees ‘No Reason’ to Talk to the U.S.","datePublished":"2026-03-15T17:08:18.221Z","dateModified":"2026-05-19T07:44:52.390Z","description":"The comments come after President Trump claimed Iran had asked for a ceasefire and he had rejected the overtures.","url":"https://time.com/article/2026/03/15/iran-Abbas-Araghchi-ceasefire-trump/","keywords":["Iran","News Desk","Military","U.S. military","Donald Trump"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt55d788749eb936f2/69b6e3195f0af36ddd1b4459/AP26047359623508.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nandika Chatterjee","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nandika-chatterjee/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt55d788749eb936f2/69b6e3195f0af36ddd1b4459/AP26047359623508.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"AP26047359623508.jpg","caption":"","creditText":"Khaled Elfiqi—Associated Press, File","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/iran/","name":"Iran"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/03/15/iran-Abbas-Araghchi-ceasefire-trump/","name":"Iran's Foreign Minister Denies Seeking Ceasefire, Sees ‘No Reason’ to Talk to the U.S."}}]}] ```