By: Bright Ntuli
Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of Iran, has dismissed the possibility of negotiations with the United States, citing the collapse of the most recent round of nuclear talks held last month.
His remarks come as the conflict in the Middle East enters its second week. United States and Israel warplanes launched new waves of air strikes on targets across Iran on Monday, in what analysts say is part of a widening military confrontation between the two sides.
In an interview with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) programme NewsHour, Araghchi said the United States and Israel had made the Middle East increasingly insecure and were responsible for disruptions to oil production and rising global energy prices.
He argued that continued military action risks further destabilising the region, which is already a critical hub for global energy supply and international shipping routes.
The escalating hostilities have heightened concerns among world leaders about the potential for a broader regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and US forces stationed across the Middle East. Several countries, including South Africa, have called for restraint and renewed diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation.
