Iran: door to diplomacy with U.S. closed

Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Israel and the United States have “blown up” diplomacy with their airstrikes in recent weeks.

He responded to calls from the UK and EU for Iran to “return” to the negotiating table, by saying Iran had never left it, nor “blew [it] up”.

"Last week, we were in negotiations with the U.S. when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy," Araghchi recalled.

Addressing Keir Starmer and Kaja Kallas directly, the Iranian diplomat asked “What conclusion would you draw?”

"To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must "return" to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?" Araghchi said.

Prominent adviser to Iran's supreme leader Hossein Shariatmadari has called for missile strikes on U.S. Navy ships and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

"Without hesitation or delay, as a first step we must launch missile strikes on the American naval fleet based in Bahrain and simultaneously close the Strait of Hormuz to American, British, German, and French shipping," Shariatmadari said.