TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s foreign minister said Tuesday that talks with the United States are no longer an option, as the country escalated attacks across the Gulf region in a war that has shaken markets and set the world on edge, accoring to Hurriyet Daily News.
“I don’t think talking with the Americans would be on our agenda anymore,” Abbas Araghchi told PBS News, recalling what he called Tehran’s “very bitter experience” from past negotiations.
As missiles lit up the skies over Israel and the Gulf, Araghchi defended the assaults as acts of self-defense. “We are prepared to continue attacking them with our missiles as long as needed,” he declared.
The growing conflict, now in its second week, has sent oil prices soaring and left governments scrambling for calm. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television that several countries including China, Russia, and France had reached out to Tehran urging a ceasefire.
“Some of them are willing to do something to stop this war,” he said, as regional capitals braced for more strikes.
Late Monday, sirens blared across Dubai and Bahrain warning of incoming missiles. Saudi Arabia said its air defenses destroyed two drones over its oil-rich eastern region, while Kuwait’s National Guard reported shooting down six more.
In Israel, explosions echoed over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv after the military detected Iranian missile launches. “We are not looking for a ceasefire,” Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf wrote defiantly on social media. “The aggressor must be punished so he learns never to attack our beloved Iran again.”
Beyond the bombs, Iran’s military has also aimed at energy infrastructure and tightened its grip on the vital Strait of Hormuz; a narrow passage that carries about 20 percent of the world’s oil. It’s a move that rattled energy markets: Brent crude spiked near $120 a barrel before easing to around $90, still almost 25 percent higher than when the war began on February 28.
U.S. President Donald Trump sought to downplay the crisis, describing it as a “short term excursion.” But with shipping routes blocked and oil supplies choked, it feels anything but short term. The Gulf now stands on the edge of a broader storm.
