Tehran, Iran – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi asserted that the opportune time for negotiations with the United States will only arrive after achieving strategic and military gains on the ground. In remarks carried by the official Iranian news agency IRNA on Monday, Araqchi explained that ending the war must occur with Iran in a position of strength. This could be achieved either through a decisive military victory or through negotiations dictated by the realities on the ground. The Iranian Foreign Minister indicated that Tehran is continuously assessing the course of the conflict. Furthermore, this assessment aims to evaluate the viability of continuing the conflict in light of the resulting national and human risks.
Continued US military escalation
Araghchi’s remarks come amid intensified US airstrikes that entered their ninth consecutive night. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the current operations are broader in scope than previous ones. He also emphasized that Washington’s strategic objective is the “complete destruction” of Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the latest wave of attacks began at 7:00 PM Eastern Time and ended at 5:30 AM Tehran time. CENTCOM explained that the operations aim to neutralize Iranian military capabilities used to threaten international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Map of targeted locations
According to Nour News, a news agency close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, the US airstrikes targeted at least 11 strategic locations. These included: Azadegan Plain, Tabriz, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Mahshahr, Sirik, Konarak, Bandar Jask, Khormoj, Khorramabad, and Sarbandar.
In the same context, Mehr News Agency and the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation reported hearing strong explosions in several areas. These areas include: Jask, Dashti, and Sirik, in addition to three explosions that rocked the west of the city of Tabriz. Despite the expansion of the targeting, Islamic Republic officials have not yet provided any official details about the nature of the material damage or human losses in these sites. However, they remained silent regarding field explanations.
These developments remain an indication that the conflict has entered a very sensitive phase. In this context, the Iranian vision of “field equality” clashes with the American determination to undermine Tehran’s nuclear and missile military infrastructure. Therefore, this raises the level of regional tension to unprecedented levels.
