Iranian Foreign Minister Responds to US Ground Operation Rumors: We Are Waiting for Them to Arrive

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a video interview with NBC's "Nightly News" host Tom Llamas, stated that Iran is prepared to respond to a potential US ground military operation and warned that such an action would bring a "major disaster" to the United States. He emphasized that Iran has no intention of engaging in any new negotiations with the US and has never sought a ceasefire. This interview comes as the US and Israel continue to launch airstrikes against Iran. Reportedly, the intense strikes since last Saturday have severely weakened Iran's military facilities. However, it should be clarified that the news regarding the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei in the attacks is false, and Iranian officials have explicitly denied it.

Faced with the question of whether he was concerned about a US ground invasion, Araghchi responded with a firm tone: "No, we are waiting for them. We are confident that we can cope, and it will be a huge disaster for them." He further pointed out that Iran has never proactively requested a ceasefire in the past. Instead, it was Israel that proposed an unconditional ceasefire after the 12-day conflict in June last year, unable to withstand Iranian resistance. Notably, just last week, Araghchi traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to secretly meet with US President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the President's son-in-law Jared Kushner to explore the possibility of a potential diplomatic agreement. However, with military strikes continuing during the negotiations, the Iranian side believes that the US lacks sincerity, and the basis for negotiations no longer exists.

Araghchi said: "We have had two negotiation experiences with the United States, one last year and one this year, but each time we were attacked during the dialogue. This has completely lost our trust." He asserted that restarting negotiations is meaningless under the current circumstances, as the US has failed to participate in the dialogue with honesty and a constructive attitude. Regarding the ultimate direction of the conflict, Araghchi painted a pessimistic picture: "There are no winners in this war. For us, victory is being able to resist illegal targets and defend national sovereignty."